


Dragon's Shadow

by pouty_hoseok



Series: Royals [7]
Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alpha Choi Soobin, Alpha Jeon Jungkook, Alpha Kang Taehyun, Alpha Kim Namjoon | RM, Alpha Park Jimin (BTS), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Assassin Jeon Jungkook, Assassin Kim Namjoon | RM, Assassin Min Yoongi | Suga, Assassin Park Jimin (BTS), Best Friends Choi Soobin & Choi Yeonjun, Beta Huening Kai, Bigotry & Prejudice, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Boys in Skirts, Cliffhangers, Crying, Cute, Dragons, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, Idiots in Love, Implied Relationships, Kim Namjoon | RM is Whipped, M/M, Magic, Making Out, Omega Choi Beomgyu, Omega Choi Yeonjun, Omega Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Omega Kim Seokjin | Jin, Omega Kim Taehyung | V, Omega Min Yoongi | Suga, Prince Choi Soobin, Prince Choi Yeonjun, Prince Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Prince Kang Taehyun, Prince Kim Seokjin | Jin, Prince Kim Taehyung | V, Prince Min Yoongi | Suga, Rebellion, Soft Choi Yeonjun, Swordfighting, Violence, Whipped Choi Soobin, Whipped Choi Yeonjun, idk - Freeform, kind of, powers?, um
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 32,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25640434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pouty_hoseok/pseuds/pouty_hoseok
Summary: Soobin has grown up in the shadows. As an Alpha prince and heir to the throne, it’s less than ideal. However, even a position such as his own has its advantages.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, Huening Kai/Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Kim Namjoon | RM/Kim Seokjin | Jin
Series: Royals [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1732594
Comments: 18
Kudos: 47





	Dragon's Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> i got it done before august but it's long as hell (115 pages on google docs)  
> also i listened to so much troye sivan while i wrote this pls he's great

The first thing that sets Soobin apart from all of the other royal children is that he is, in fact, adopted. His Omega mother had several miscarriages before she and his Alpha mother turned to a fortuneteller or something like that and begged for help. Not long after, a baby boy who just so happened to look like a combination of his two mothers was born. His true parents both died and Soobin was put in an orphanage. The fortuneteller found Soobin while walking by and snatched the little baby up, then took him to the king and queen. The two women were overjoyed, but they all knew that the prince would lack the magic all royals had running through their veins. Another thing setting him apart from his fellows - Soobin’s lack of any magical abilities whatsoever. Then again, the magic is spread so thinly throughout the royal families that one might say the vast majority of them are pretty normal. But Soobin has absolutely no magic in his blood. So. That’s a bit of a problem, though it can be covered up by plenty of work done behind the scenes. 

Soobin is also, unlike most children, a very quiet baby. He hardly cries and his nurses deem him an absolute angel. However, when he doesn’t even babble, as most babies do, they grow worried. He sits quietly in his cradle and listens as stories are read to him in hopes of coaxing a word out him. He says his first word at three years old and then proceeds to hardly ever speak after that. He’s polite and kind, of course, he just doesn’t like talking.

However, at five years old, when he meets fellow prince Choi Yeonjun, that seems to change. 

“Now, Soobin,” his nurse, a female Beta by the name of Sunghee, says, “you have to be very careful with the prince.” 

“Because he’s a baby?” Soobin says, tilting his head and then sneezing cutely. 

Sunghee laughs and shakes her head. “Well, yes,” she says, contradicting the action, “but the older prince is an Omega. You mustn’t hurt him. Omegas are fragile, fragile creatures with whom you must be careful with. They are delicate, Soobin.” 

Soobin nods. He can do that. He’s very careful! 

With that tidbit of advice, Soobin climbs into the carriage with his parents and sits down, playing with his hands as he waits. It’s not a very long trip but the sun is hot and heavy. Soobin knows his mother has trouble walking around in her dress. 

When they arrive, Soobin sits quietly in the carriage until they reach the palace. The door opens and little Soobin is helped out. Before him, a man and woman stand. The woman is holding a little toddler while a little boy stands beside the man. He’s wearing a dress made of pretty fabrics that even well-mannered, five-year-old Soobin wants to touch. However, he stands still between his parents, staring at the family. 

Soon enough, the adults begin talking to one another. The little boy (oh, gods, his hair is such a strange color) races up to Soobin. 

“Hi!” he chirps. “I’m Yeonjun.” 

“Soobin,” Soobin says, bowing as he was taught. Yeonjun arches an eyebrow. He isn’t deterred for long, though, as he’s quick to grab Soobin by the wrist and attempt to drag him out of the adults’ fields of vision. 

“Where - we can’t!” Soobin cries. He tries to gently pry Yeonjun’s fingers from around his wrist but the other little boy is surprisingly strong for someone so fragile. 

“Oh, come  _ on _ ,” Yeonjun says. 

“Yeonjun,” the woman, presumably Yeonjun’s mother, snaps. Yeonjun pouts and crosses his arms over his chest before stomping off. 

“You’re no fun,” he grumbles. Soobin watches him go before wandering toward his mother. He clings to her skirts as they’re led to a pretty garden in the back. They all sit down at a table and Soobin attempts to greet Yeonjun’s four-year-old brother. 

However, Yeonjun has different plans. There’s a shrill scream that rips through the peaceful scene and everyone turns to see Yeonjun standing in a tree. He clambers up the largest branch until he gets to hang over a large pond. 

“Yeonjun, get down from there!” the boy’s mother demands, getting up and grabbing her skirts. Yeonjun sticks his tongue out and then he suddenly leaps from the branch, squealing as he comes in contact with the water and causes a large splash. 

Well. Maybe Sunghee was wrong. 

For some reason, Soobin finds himself utterly enamored with Yeonjun the moment he sees him jump into the pond. Not even in a romantic way, though something tells Soobin it won’t be long before his feelings shift and change into something like that. But, as he watches Yeonjun surface with a gasp and a goofy grin (the better word, one he has yet to learn, is ‘shit-eating’) before floundering over to the edge, Soobin knows he wouldn’t mind being friends with him. 

After that, it’s as if a new, previously unknown side of Soobin is dragged into the light. He and Yeonjun talk as if they have only seconds of their lives left, loud chatter filling the air. Yeonjun, of course, gets in trouble for jumping into the pond, but Soobin’s too far gone by the time it happens. And, well, they’re a good match. Soobin is well-behaved and polite, known for how kind he is to everyone no matter what their income is. Yeonjun, on the other hand, is brash and loud and rather obnoxious, uncaring of what others think of him. His eyes sparkle with mischief and it always looks a bit as if he has a secret that’ll get him scolded sooner or later. But, despite being practically complete opposites, the two are joint at the hip the moment Yeonjun gets out of the water. 

That night, Soobin has his first vision. It’s strange when he opens his eyes and finds himself on the back of a dragon, the wind blowing softly by him. There are arms wrapped around his waist and Soobin looks over his shoulder, finding a familiar head of blue hair. 

“Go the long way,” Yeonjun murmurs. Soobin’s mouth moves on its own. 

“They’ll know,” he says.

“I don’t care. I want to stay with you.” Soobin’s heart pounds. He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he doesn’t like it. 

“It would make things so much worse, Hyung,” he says. 

“We already can’t speak with one another again, how could it get worse?” Yeonjun says. Soobin feels his breath hitch as fear sends icy tendrils through his veins. He cups Yeonjun’s face, then, pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss. It isn’t long before Soobin is having the dragon land and they stumble off of the animal, greedy hands wandering over one another. Soobin grabs Yeonjun’s thighs and hoists him up until his legs are wrapped around his middle, kissing him hungrily. He licks into Yeonjun’s mouth while undoing the clasp of his cloak, pressing his back to a tree. 

And then, before it can escalate any further, Soobin wakes with a gasp. As a five-year-old boy, he has no idea what just happened, but something demands that he keeps it secret. Soobin frowns, closing his eyes. He can’t forget what he was shown and what he felt, not at all. As he searches through the depths of his mind he has a feeling that what just happened is definitely not normal. However, Soobin is also quite tired from a day of playing with his new best friend. So, he sighs and shakes his head, then goes back to sleep. 

The visions don’t always come at night. Sometimes, Soobin will be sitting at a desk, listening to his tutor, then he’ll be hit with a scene from the future. Other times, it’ll be a simple phrase, sort of like a prophecy. Soobin writes them all down in a little diary he keeps under his mattress, the leather-bound notebook kept secret from the rest of the world. Even Yeonjun doesn’t know about it, though Soobin doesn’t quite want him to. Something about it feels . . . well, it’s really just that he wants something all for himself. He has to share practically everything and Soobin’s growing up being treated as if he’ll be a Beta. The visions and words swirling around his head say otherwise, but Soobin keeps quiet. 

Surprisingly, Soobin’s rut comes early. A few days before his thirteenth birthday, Soobin doubles over and groans loudly, sweat already beading at his hairline. He’s helped to his room and the prince cries out in pain, sweating profusely as he bathes in a tub of ice-cold water. The hormones draw out a set of words that make his rut-addled brain short-circuit, though it’s not very difficult to do so. 

“ **THE EMPRESS SITS UPON A THRONE OF VIOLETS** ,” a strange, booming voice cries. Soobin howls and clutches his head, tugging at his hair and trying to shake it from his mind. His skull is pounding and it feels as if the inside is being used as a drum to direct an army marching through. Everything is far too loud. 

_ Stop it, stop it, stop it! _ he thinks. As expected, the voice doesn’t shut up nor does the pounding of his head stop. Soobin releases a pathetic sob, curling in on himself. 

And then, suddenly, everything seems to stop. Soobin pants, cautiously cracking an eye open to look around. 

_ Am I dead? _ Soobin thinks when he sees  _ Yeonjun _ of all people standing in front of him. 

“No, not dead, Soobinnie,” Yeonjun says softly. He smiles softly. “You’re dreaming, that’s all.” 

“So you’re not real?” Soobin says. Yeonjun shakes his head. Soobin reaches out and touches his face. His hand passes right through. Soobin sighs and then puts his head in his hands, groaning. Dream-Yeonjun sits on the bed and wraps an arm around his shoulders, but the only notion of him touching Soobin is the gentle breeze the brushes over his skin. 

“Wait a minute,” Soobin says, looking up and over at Dream-Yeonjun. “I’m naked.” 

Dream-Yeonjun looks down then nods, humming. Soobin squeaks and grabs the blanket. 

“Dude, what the hell?” he says. “Why didn’t you tell me I had my dick out?” 

“Because I’m . . . not . . . real?” Dream-Yeonjun says, shrugging. Soobin waves his hand. 

“But, like - I mean, c’mon, dude!” 

Dream-Yeonjun rolls his eyes and crosses his nose. Wow, his pout is super realistic. 

“Look, Soobin,” he says, “I know you have a crush on me.” 

“The real you? Or just the dream version?” 

The question earns Soobin yet another eye-roll as Yeonjun sits on his knees. 

“The dream version,” he says. “Soobin, we both know - I’m a figment of your imagination. We both know that you’re too scared to confess to the real me.” 

Soobin sticks his tongue out at Dream-Yeonjun. “Well,” he says, crossing his arms, “there’s no need to be mean about it.” Dream-Yeonjun laughs and scoots closer, grinning. He places a finger beneath Soobin’s chin (which is a rather strange place to feel a breeze) and tilts his head up. Even though he knows he isn’t real, Soobin still feels his breath catch in his throat. 

“There isn’t, is there?” he says. He laughs. “Soobin-ah, you’re so cute.” 

Soobin huffs and shoves him away. Of course, this does nothing but dispel it. Soobin sighs as he sits back and rubs his face. Gods, this can’t be okay. Then again, he sees the future at random times. So maybe Soobin isn’t really allowed to judge what’s ‘normal’ or ‘okay’. 

His rut ends and, before he can even catch his breath, Soobin is being told that he’ll be sent to Eanox. 

“What?” he cries as his things are packed. His mother stares at him. Her long black hair is held back and she’s curling her nose at the scent of her son’s rut. Alphas are known for being rather disgusted by each other’s scents. 

“It’s tradition,” the woman says. Soobin stares at her. She stares at him and Soobin takes his time as he thinks of a response. He knows he’ll only make the situation worse if he argues, though. 

“All right,” he says. “When do I leave? And for how long?” 

“Until your twentieth birthday. That’s when you’ll claim the throne.” Soobin nods, swallowing hard. 

“Will I be allowed to send letters?” he says. His mother looks back at him and raises an eyebrow. 

“Do not keep all of your eggs in one basket,” she says warningly. Soobin looks away. 

“Of course, Mother,” he says softly. “Will I be going to a school or -”

“You’ll be meeting a young lawyer. His name is Kim Namjoon, though he’s rather recognizable. He’s nineteen.” 

_ How young _ , Soobin thinks as he waits for the other Alpha to leave. He realizes, then, that she’s waiting for a response. 

“Oh, yes,” the prince says, bowing. His mother nods before walking out of the room, leaving Soobin to his own devices. 

Unsurprisingly, the first thing he does is race to his desk, grab a piece of parchment, get out his favorite quill, and then write a letter to Yeonjun. Soobin’s always had extremely good penmanship. Yeonjun, on the other hand, writes quickly and doesn’t bother checking things over. Soobin has found himself frantically writing his responses, requesting for Yeonjun to translate his own messy scrawl. Ink blobs are frequent on his letters, though Soobin doesn’t mind, as long as they stay away from the actual lettering. 

(Of course, that’s quite the opposite. Yeonjun likes using as much ink as possible to make for large, bold strokes on his paper, but it smudges and takes a long time to dry. Soobin will write his responses and send Yeonjun’s back with them, circling words and phrases he’s unable to decipher. Yeonjun himself doesn’t even know at times.)

Soobin ends up rewriting the letter several times. He’s uncharacteristically frantic, and this leads to his handwriting being uncharacteristically messy. He supposes it’s still somewhat better than Yeonjun’s own messy scrawl, but Soobin also doesn’t want to scare him. So, he tries again and again until he’s satisfied with his work. The letter is sent, then, and Soobin begins to pack as he awaits a response. 

Unfortunately, Soobin is boarding the boat to get to Eanox before Yeonjun can get his response to him. The Ifanian coast is somewhat warmer than the rest of the mainland during winter, but Soobin still finds himself wrapped in thick furs to keep from getting sick or anything. He sits on the port, several guards around him, waiting quietly to board the boat. It takes several minutes but Soobin’s always been rather patient, especially for an Alpha. He stands up and attempts to help carry his belongings but the servants sent with him have it under control. 

“Good morning, Your Highness,” the captain says, bowing at the prince. Soobin nods his head in acknowledgment. 

“Good morning, captain,” he says. “Would you show me to my room? It’s rather cold and I wouldn’t want any of my servants to get sick.” Soobin isn’t lying when he says that, nor does anyone think he is. Already, the young Alpha prince has built himself a good reputation. He’s known for being abnormally kind and respectful to those around him, but it’s also a weakness. His tutors on Alpha mannerisms have scolded him plenty of times for his strange behavior, yelling at the boy to take what he wants and hold no regards for others’. 

Of course, Soobin isn’t very good at taking that advice. He still tries to help his servants when they have to carry his things down a large hatch, though he is, once again, told to rest. Soobin sighs, sitting near the edge of the boat and staring out at the sparkling waters around them. 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” someone says. Soobin looks over his shoulder. A boy stands there. He can’t be any older than Soobin himself, though he seems as if he’s in the eleven to twelve range. He’s tall, though, long and lanky with thick curls that seem as if they’ve never been brushed before. 

“Yes,” Soobin says carefully. The boy grins and sits beside him. 

“I’m Hueningkai,” he says, holding his hand out. Soobin takes it as the boy - Hueningkai - makes a face. “Well, Kai is my first name, Huening my last, but everyone calls my Hueningkai. Or Huening. Or Ningning. That’s what Joon-Hyung calls me.” 

“‘Joon-Hyung’?” Soobin says, tilting his head. “As in Kim Namjoon?” Hueningkai nods, his curls bouncing. 

“Yeah!” he says chirpily. “How’d you know?” 

Soobin shrugs. “I’m going to be meeting up with him there.” Hueningkai’s eyes go wide and he yelps as he falls off of the little bench. 

“You’re the prince!” he cries from the ground. Soobin frowns and holds his hand out, tugging Hueningkai to his feet. 

“Well,” he says, “yes. I am the prince, but it’s - um, it’s not that big of a deal. I’m just gonna be here for, like, seven years or something like that. Until I’m twenty.” 

“You’re thirteen, aren’t you?” Hueningkai says. Soobin nods. The other boy nods back. 

“Well,” he says, “I’m eleven years old. Nice to meet you, Your Highness.”

Soobin scrunches his face up at that. “Just ‘Soobin’ is fine.” He looks around, finding it strange that an eleven-year-old boy is traveling alone. “Are you - I mean, is there anyone coming with you? Or are you just going to meet with Namjoon?” 

“Oh, no, my sisters are here,” Hueningkai says. “Lea-Noona! Bahiyih!” he calls. 

Just then, two girls come out. They’re both shorter than their brother. Hueningkai leans over and whispers, “Noona is your age. Bahiyih is nine.” 

Soobin immediately sees the resemblance the three siblings have. They all have similar lips and noses, with dark curls to match. 

“Hi,” he says, waving and feeling awkward. He can smell the Alpha on Lea. It’s something like spiced honey he supposes. 

“Huening-ah, who’s this?” Lea says. Bahiyih waves back at Soobin. She then hides behind her older sister. 

“This is Soobin-ssi!” Hueningkai says happily. Soobin waves again. 

“Hi,” he says. He bows. “Um, uh-”

“Huening! That’s the prince!” Lea scolds, tugging her brother back by the arm. She bows at Soobin and gestures at her younger siblings to both do the same. “I’m so sorry, Your Highness, he’s-”

“It’s, um, it’s fine,” Soobin says, shifting awkwardly. “He - it’s nice to have someone to talk to.” 

“What’s it like being a prince?” Bahiyih says. Soobin shrugs. 

“Um, it’s not terrible? My friend, Yeonjun-Hyung, he hates it. But he says the food is nice. I - um, I don’t mind it. I don’t really know my parents, but it’s still . . . it’s tolerable, I guess?” 

The little girl stares at him with wide eyes. She nods, then, though she remains hidden behind her older sister. Soobin tugs on his cloak, biting his lip and staring at the ground. 

“Noona, you’ve scared him,” Hueningkai says. He sighs as he sits beside Soobin and drapes himself over the prince. “Oh, now we’ll never know what lies beneath that shell of his!” 

“I - I’m not - well - um, uh-”

“Kai Kamal Huening, stop doing that! His guards are on the ship! What are you going to do if you get caught?” 

“Um, I won’t?” Hueningkai says. “Soobin-ssi likes me. Right?” 

“Yeah, um, sure. You’re . . . fun to talk to?” It’s enough for Hueningkai as he waves his hands at Lea. 

“See?” he says. “I’m fun to talk to! And when he becomes king, I’ll be the greatest court jester in the world!” 

“I - well, actually - I, um, I wasn’t . . . planning on having . . . one?” 

Hueningkai yelps as he tumbles off as his sisters laugh at him. 

“What?!” the boy cries, sounding as if Soobin told him he eats babies for breakfast. “No court jester?!”

“I don’t - I mean, if my spouse wanted one, then yeah, I’d have one, but, if not, then I don’t really see any point in having one. But, like, I guess you could do it if you . . . wanted to . . .?”

Hueningkai screams, muffling it by shoving his face into his sister’s cloak. Soobin winces in sympathy. 

_ Sorry _ , he mouths. Lea shrugs. 

“He’s really dramatic, don’t be sorry,” she says. She shoves Hueningkai off. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, what’re you doing here?” 

Soobin shrugs, picking at his nails. 

“Some sort of training thing I think,” he says. “Namjoon is supposed to teach me something, though I’m not quite sure what it is. It’s some sort of tradition.” 

Lea nods, studying the boy. Soobin shifts uncomfortably under her gaze, biting his lip. His fangs draw blood, as he has yet to get used to them in his mouth. Idly, Soobin runs his tongue over his sharpened teeth. The action is followed by the sharp, metallic taste of blood as it blooms in his mouth. Soobin swallows it back and continues to run his tongue over his teeth. For some reason, it grants him comfort. 

“Is it something only the coast does?” Bahiyih speaks up. Soobin shrugs. 

“I think so,” he says. “My friend, Yeonjun-Hyung - he has a little brother and I guess I’m friends with Taehyun too, but he hasn’t done this. Then again, he has yet to present as an Alpha, but that’s what we all think.” 

Lea nods as her younger brother and sister begin to ask Soobin questions about his life as royalty. Embarrassed, Soobin tries his hardest to give them satisfactory answers, but he’ll admit, he’s never . . . well, he’s grown up being taught he’d be a Beta. Even if his visions and the words that didn’t belong in his head told him otherwise, being taught that by everyone and everything else can be . . . well, let’s just say it can leave some marks. Soobin’s parents have never said it aloud, but he knows they resent him a bit for being adopted. It’s something that he very obviously had no control whatsoever over, but they’re still bitter that they couldn’t conceive. And Soobin, poor, poor Soobin, is far too aware of this at only thirteen years of age. It isn’t fair, there’s no way anyone could possibly sugarcoat it in a way that suggested such, but it’s the truth. And Soobin will never be able to clear such painful information from his mind. No matter how hard he wishes, it’s always going to be there. 

Suddenly, Soobin feels himself space out as he’s shoved into a vision. He sees an older version of Hueningkai laughing, standing beneath an arch of flowers. He’s holding hands with an Omega in a gorgeous white wedding dress. They’re laughing and talking to each other and maybe that’s how their vows are. But Soobin wouldn’t know; it isn’t a common occurrence that he can hear anything more than the garbled voices of the people in his visions. He tries looking around but is rejected, his feet stuck to the floor as he watches the couple smiles at each other, kissing softly. The Omega, with a giant grin on his face, throws his bouquet into the air. Soobin doesn’t see who catches it, but he notices the flowers from butterfly bushes, lilies, and then some blooming hydrangeas. He can’t help smiling at them as they kiss again, twin rings glittering on their left ring fingers. The vision is dispelled when they run down the aisle and straight through Soobin, sending the boy back to the present. 

“-Highness? Are you all right?” Lea says, worriedly waving her hand in front of Soobin’s face. The boy backs away from her and looks around, catching the eye of Huenningkai. He looks away just as quickly, though. 

“What? Yes, yes, I’m fine, sorry,” Soobin says, curling in on himself. Yet another very un-Alpha-like habit of his. Lea even arches an eyebrow at him when he does, though that might also be because he just spaced out in a really weird way. 

(Of course, Soobin hasn’t a single idea what he looks like to any passerby when he has visions while he’s conscious, but he knows it’s rather worrying. Other than that, though, there’s nothing.)

“What was that?” Hueningkai says. 

“Nothing, nothing,” Soobin says, waving his hand and hoping he can dismiss any other questions he doesn’t want to answer. As an extra precaution, though, he yawns and stretches, saying, “I’m sorry, I’m rather tired. I haven’t slept very much. Last night was rather hectic and I was roused quite early this morning. Apologies.” He bows and then scrambles off of the bench, skipping steps to get out and down to his room. 

It takes several days to get to Eanox. Soobin doesn’t hate boats, but he can easily say that he prefers being on land. When they get to the docks, Soobin is given to an even larger group of guards. 

_ Oh, _ he thinks,  _ the rebellions. But they can’t be this bad, can they? _

However, before they even meet Kim Namjoon, there’s a loud  _ whoosh! _ above Soobin’s head and an arrow embeds itself in the space between his feet. The guards around him bring their shields up, though it ends up forcing Soobin to bend his knees a bit. The arrow snags on Soobin’s fine leather boot, though, and he ends up tugging it out to free himself. 

There’s a note tied around it, but something keeps the boy from alerting any of the guards as he carefully slides the rolled-up piece of parchment up his sleeve, placing the arrow in an outstretched, metal-clad hand. They walk for a few minutes before the shields are moved back to the sides of their owners. 

“Your Highness!” a loud voice cries. The guards move aside as a boy comes into view. His hair is long and dark, tied in a thin ponytail at the base of his neck. He’s grinning at Soobin, dimples on display. Kim Namjoon is tall and lanky though he’s well-muscled and rather tan. His eyes are sparkling brown and his fangs are sharp. He’s holding a bunch of scrolls under his armpit. 

“Sorry about the rebels,” Namjoon says. He smiles at the guards, offering a hand to Soobin. “Don’t worry, I can escort him.” 

“We are required to watch the prince until he safely reaches the house,” one of the guards says. Namjoon stiffens and his eyes narrow for a second. He’s got a gentle but firm hand resting on Soobin’s back. Soobin can sense a vision teaming at the edge of his consciousness, desperately trying to push through and into his mind. He looks over at Namjoon and the older boy doesn’t seem to notice. But his eyes are hardened and, when he looks over at Soobin, it’s clear that he’s hiding something. 

“All right,” Namjoon finally says as the tension grows stifling. He smiles, but it likes more like he’s simply showing off the sharpness of his fangs. They walk stiffly through the streets of Eanox, Soobin pulling a hood over his head to keep the attention off of him. Nonetheless, the whispers continue to snake around him, new rumors being built with his every step. 

“We’re here,” Namjoon says. Soobin stops and looks up. He doesn’t know what he expected, but a giant, castle-like, stone building definitely wasn’t it. There’s still a hand on Soobin’s back as Namjoon says, “You can leave us now.”

The guards nod before marching back to the port. Soobin’s servants are still pushing his things in a cart. 

“This way,” Namjoon says, losing some of the tension in his shoulders as he opens the doors. “Lea, can you go get Jimin and Jeongguk to help with the prince’s things?” 

Lea nods, dashing ahead. Soobin pokes his head in and catches sight of a large staircase and fireplace. There are a bunch of little cubby holes carved into the walls and all of them have a scroll inside. 

Soon enough, two other boys come down with Lea. They’re both Alphas. The shorter of the two smells like coffee and sandalwood while his friend smells of cinnamon and some other scent that Soobin can’t quite place. They’re still play-fighting, as all Alphas do, laughing and nipping at each other. 

“Jimin, Jeongguk, come on,” Namjoon says, rolling his eyes fondly. The two Alphas laugh. 

“Aw, Hyung,” the smaller of the two says, shoving Namjoon playfully. He rushes at Lea and the younger Alpha pretends to bare her fangs at him. They go back and forth for a bit before grabbing Soobin’s bags from the servants and carrying them inside. 

“Sorry,” Namjoon says, “they’re . . . um-”

“It’s fine,” Soobin says quietly. “I - um, do you have anything I could use to send a letter?” My friend-”

“Of course,” Namjoon says. He leads Soobin, Lea, Bahiyih, and Hueningkai through the building. They go up the staircase and past several closed doors before they reach Soobin’s room. 

“Here,” Namjoon says. He hands Soobin a key. “You’ll get called down for dinner and anything else you have to do, but, other than that, you’re free to do whatever you want. Just - like, don’t die. If you need help, ask Jimin or Jeongguk. Or . . . well, maybe not. Lea is much more dependable. If you want to ask any questions, then I’ll be in the stables. Just - when you go out there, make sure you have a cloak on. The dragons aren’t in a good mood today so I’m trying to calm them down. Be careful, yeah. That’s the rule around here, I guess.” Namjoon sighs, running a hand through his hair before shrugging his shoulders and smiling at Soobin. “Dinner’s in the mess hall. Just follow everyone else or whatever, you can’t miss it.”

Soobin nods, standing awkwardly by the door. He bows his head, still unsure of what to do. 

“I - um, thank you, Namjoon-ssi. Um, I guess I’ll see you all at dinner?”

“Would you like a tour?” Hueningkai says. 

“I - maybe later. Where should I go to find you . . .?”

“Probably at the stables with Hyung. Don’t worry, you can just ask. See ya!”

Soobin nods again as he carefully unlocks the door with shaking hands. He bows his head at his hosts(?) and waves them goodbye before shutting the door behind him. The boy sighs. 

“Gods,” he mumbles, looking around with wide eyes, “what is this place?” 

To say the least, Namjoon has a  _ lot _ of money because even Soobin knows how little money the emperor gives out to the public. That or Namjoon is doing something else for the government. There’s also the possibility of him stealing and working behind the scenes, but Soobin doesn’t think he’d be that confident with the guards. 

_ A vision, maybe?  _ he thinks. The void in the back of his head ignores him, sitting quietly. It’s frustrating. Soobin, as the years have gone by, has gained some semblance of control over his visions, but they still appear at random moments, as do the random sentences. They’re annoying and Soobin suspects part of the reason he’s been sent to Eanox is because of them. Normal children don’t space out randomly, their eyes going glassy as they stand so still it seems as if they’re statues rather than people. But, of course, normal children also have no ability to see the future, so Soobin supposes he’s not allowed to deem himself such.

Sighing heavily, Soobin gets up and heads towards the desk against the wall. It’s beneath a large window that has a thin, shining layer of frost on the outside. Soobin stares at it before sitting down, taking a piece of parchment from the little drawer of sorts. He grabs the nearest quill and checks the nearest inkpot. It smells kind of weird, though Soobin is hoping Yeonjun doesn’t sniff the ink. 

(He’s not saying he knows he won’t because it’d be a very Yeonjun-like thing to smell the ink Soobin used. He wouldn’t be surprised if he did, though he’d prefer if he didn’t. However, all Soobin can do is hope. He’s thankful his visions don’t show him things as trivial as this, but he also wonders.)

For a few moments, Soobin is, once again, torn up over what to write. He finally decides on sharing his location and then he apologizes for the sudden shift in addresses. His heart clenches in his chest and begs him to write more. Or maybe he could send some sort of request to Yeonjun’s father, asking (read: begging) for permission to court the Omega prince. It wouldn’t - it’s not an uncommon occurrence for Alphas and Omegas, especially the royal ones, to start the process of courting at a young age. Soobin knows, though, that the eldest of the imperial princes, Kim Seokjin, has stomped all over countless suitors. He also knows that Yeonjun looks up to him as if he’s some sort of god, though Soobin would be a hypocrite if he told him not to. He himself has always admired Seokjin, so he supposes he can’t really say anything about Yeonjun doing the same. 

However, Soobin worries for his friend. He’s heard stories (bits of gossip from the palace servants) about Omegas who’ve been in solitary confinement for horribly long periods of time. Seokjin himself has been there. Even if Emperor Dong-Hyeok doesn’t announce it, everyone knows it due to the sudden lessening of mischief and rejection of suitors all the way back in the capital. 

Sighing yet again, Soobin shakes his head and simply blows on the still-wet ink to dry it before he gently folds the parchment to fit inside of an envelope. He grabs one of the paper packets and slides the letter inside, stamping on the seal before picking it up and walking out. 

“Oh, Soobin-ssi!” Hueningkai says. Soobin smiles sheepishly, holding up the letter. 

“Um, do you know where I could go to send this?” he says. “It’s a letter for my friend-”

“Ah, yes. Follow me.” Soobin feels as if the grin on Hueningkai’s face should warn him away from following him, but he does so anyway. He wants to make sure Yeonjun knows he’s all right and everything’s fine. 

“Here,” Hueningkai says, handing Soobin a large cloak, “put this on. It’s pretty windy up here.” 

“What?” Soobin says as they climb a small, rickety, spiral staircase. He frowns as he pulls the hood over his head. “Where are we going?” 

“Stables, roosts. Same thing, potato, po-tat-o. C’mon.” Hueningkai gives Soobin no time to decide as he pushes a large hatch open and walks out. 

The first thing Soobin notices is how damn  _ bright _ it is. He winces, covering his eyes and squinting. Then, of course, as if the blinding light of the sun isn’t enough, harsh winds threaten to push the two boys off of the giant, stone area. All around, the loud screeching of a bunch of miscellaneous avians can be heard. Hueningkai shields his eyes from the sun with a hand as he and Soobin walk over to one of the smaller cages. 

“This is Flower!” he says. “She’s a messenger dragon!” 

Soobin squints. The small reptile stares at him with golden eyes. She’s got a thick coat of feathers mixed with her scales, all of which are colored rather vibrantly. 

“Should I tell her the address?” he yells over the win. 

The dragon squawks loudly at him.  _ Does it look like I can read minds? _

“Oh, no, sorry. But, um, could you deliver this to Prince Choi Yeonjun? In the southern castle of the Ifanian Empire?” 

Flower ruffles her feathers and, before Soobin can blink, she leaps forward and snatches the letter from his hand, flapping her wings as she flies away from the two boys. Soobin yelps and scrambles away, his eyes wide with fear. Look, it’s very scary and surprising when a small reptile with sharp teeth and claws takes something from you. 

“You’ll get used to it,” Hueningkai says, tugging his cloak closer to his shivering body. Soobin hums, nodding and still squinting from the wind and sun. 

“I’ll take your word for it,” he mumbles as they head back. The sun, much to Soobin’s surprise, is beginning to set. He wonders if Eanoxian time is different from Ifanian. It probably is since time moves differently depending on where one resides. 

“So, what’s your relationship with Yeonjun like if you don’t mind me asking?” Hueningkai says, grinning slyly. 

Soobin snorts, wishing he could find a way to hide his blushing teeth. At least he can excuse it with the wind. 

“He’s been my best friend since I was five and he was six,” he says. 

Hueningkai scoffs. “Does someone have a  _ crush _ ?” he sing-songs. 

Soobin snorts, though he wouldn’t be surprised if he’s extremely obvious about it. Nonetheless, he denies it. 

“No!” 

Hueningkai snorts as he walks away. “Sure, o-”

Soobin collapses. Ah, a very large vision has decided now would be the best time to attack him. 

He stands on a battlefield. Hueningkai stands before him, though the boy is much older. His hands glow with a purple light as he creates creatures of earth to fight against the enemy. His eyes are narrowed and his teeth a gritted, but there’s a sudden scream that has him looking away. Just as he does, a giant feline of sorts lunges at him. Soobin reaches out to try and help him, but the boy stumbles and clutches his now-bleeding shoulder. Soobin chases after him and then Hueningkai waves his hand, his eyes beginning to glow as a purple explosion pushes all of the enemy soldiers out of the way. He limps forward, panting, until he reaches the origin of the scream. 

On the ground, an angel lies. Or, well, that’s the best way Soobin can describe the man. Giant, feathery, pitch-black wings come from his back. His eyes are brown but the whites are the same ebony color as his wings. A pair of giant, curved horns protrude from his forehead. He has long black claws and his fangs are as sharp as daggers. However, a large spear is embedded in his left wing. He’s frantically clawing at it, desperately trying to remove the thing. 

“Hyung, look out!” Hueningkai cries. The man looks up and holds up a black sword Soobin hadn’t yet noticed, parrying the attack. Hueningkai stumbles over, sliding down to join the man in removing the spear. Another man appears, his hands glowing just as Hueningkai’s, and he creates a large shield around the two. His eyes glow brightly as he turns to their attacker, screaming at the top of his lungs as he launches himself toward- 

“SOOBIN!” 

The boy sits up with a gasp. He looks around at the group of people clustered around his bed, all of them wearing worried expressions. Namjoon, Jeongguk, Jimin (though he still doesn’t know which is which), Lea, Bahiyih, and Hueningkai stand around him. 

“What - what happened?” Soobin says. He winces as a sudden pounding attacks his skull, rubbing his head. He can still hear the screams and the explosion. 

“You just- you passed out,” Hueningkai says. He looks sheepish and scared as he wrings his hands, looking everywhere but Soobin’s eyes. “I - um - I brought you here.” 

“Do you remember anything?” Namjoon says. He’s wearing glasses. The lenses are cracked while the thin, wire frames are bent and broken. Soobin feels the strangest urge to undo it, though something tells him they’re the only pair he has. 

“No,” Soobin says. He shakes his head. Namjoon raises an eyebrow. Soobin shies away from his stare, looking at his hands. None of the others seem to pick up on it. 

“Is this something that’s happened before?” Lea says. 

“No, I don’t think so,” Soobin says. Surprisngly, it’s not a lie. Soobin looks around at them and finds his eyes darting to Namjoon. The older Alpha stares at him, blinking slowly behind his cracked glasses. He seems to know more about Soobin than he lets on. 

The young Alpha lets his eyes stray to Hueningkai. He’s still making himself smaller despite being nearly as tall as either Jimin or Jeongguk (it’s whoever’s shorter). 

However, when Hueningkai finally looks up and meets Soobin’s gaze, he seems to know something. He knows even more than Namjoon, and that’s saying quite a lot. Soobin blinks a couple of times before looking away and smiling. 

“Thank you,” he says to all of them, though he hopes that Hueningkai knows Soobin harbors no ill will against him. “I - um - is there anything to eat? How long was I out?” 

“Good timing!” the Alpha Hueningkai is taller than says happily. He grins at Soobin. “I’m Jimin by the way. Could hear you wondering about it.” 

“What?” Soobin says, frowning and tilting his head. Jimin winks. Namjoon rolls his eyes. 

“He’s just messing with you,” he says. “Can you walk?” 

Soobin nods, carefully climbing out of bed. He steadies himself on his bedside table as the blood in his body rushes about as he stands. He walks a few steps and tries for a grin before grabbing a pair of slippers and then frowning. 

“Um, uh, do I have to change for this?” he says. 

Soobin’s sort-of hosts all look very surprised by the question. 

“No?” Jeongguk says, frowning and tilting his head. Soobin scratches the back of his neck, feeling sheepish. 

“Sorry,” he mumbles, “just an old habit. We - um, back at the palace, I usually change for dinner.” 

At least everyone seems to understand that. They nod and shake their heads, explaining to Soobin that there’s never been any need to do so. 

“By the way, Namjoon-Seonbaenim,” Soobin says as they walk down to the dining hall, “will there be any other people there? I - well, this place is awfully big and I was wondering if I was the only guest resident.”

Namjoon shrugs. 

“Yeah,” he says, “we - there are a few other people who work and live here. But you don’t have to worry about them; they’re all pretty friendly.”

Soobin nods, wringing his hands nervously. Yet another very un-Alpha-ish habit of his; whenever Soobin’s nervous he picks at his clothes or wrings his hands or he bites his lip. Alphas aren’t supposed to get nervous, as Namjoon has shown upon multiple occasions, such as when he almost argued with the guards and was met with a fainted prince. Then again, Soobin hasn’t seen enough of him to judge that, though he’s quite certain that Namjoon handles it in a way that doesn’t make his nervousness nearly as obvious as Soobin’s. He is, after all, a lawyer. 

As they walk, Hueningkai and Bahiyih both compete to see who can tell Soobin about the large house of sorts. They pass a library, a lounge, several bathrooms, an armory - Soobin ends up losing track. He reaches into his pocket and feels for something to calm him down, though he ends up finding a little slip of parchment paper. 

_ Oh, _ he thinks,  _ it’s from the arrow, isn’t it? The arrow from when I arrived. _ Soobin bites his lip and leaves it, deciding to read it later. 

Dinner is, much to Soobin’s relief, a very pleasant affair. He gets closer to Hueningkai, Lea, Bahiyih, Namjoon, Jeongguk, and Jimin. Jeongguk is very quiet, but he can get very loud when he’s excited. Jimin is good at keeping up conversation, as are Bahiyih and Hueningkai. Lea adds her input and quiets her siblings down when they get too rambunctious, though Soobin finds her to be just as pleasant as the rest of the people he’s talking to. Namjoon sits and watches them, smiling fondly and responding to the words and questions directed at him. Every so often, Soobin will catch him looking at something on his hand. Soobin cranes his neck, looking curiously at it. 

It’s a rune. While Soobin himself can’t understand the old language nor can he read the text, he knows it represents one of the gods from Ifanian mythology. Or, well, it’s not exactly  _ Ifanian _ , but it is one of the main religious practices to believe in such gods. Soobin would know from how often his history scrolls have gone over Aristok, Alpha king of the gods. 

“Seonbaenim,” Soobin says, “what is that?” 

Namjoon looks up at him. He adjusts his glasses and then slides the amulet into his pocket. 

“Just a little something I found,” he says. Soobin resists the urge to scoff. But he has to admire Namjoon’s ability to remain so very casual. The man in question pulls something else from his pocket but, this time, it’s a folded piece of parchment. He unfolds it then looks over it before shoving it into his pocket. 

“I’ve got to go,” he says. 

“Is it your sister?” Jeongguk says, pointing at the note with his chopsticks. 

Namjoon shakes his head as he wipes at his eyes, hands fumbling with everything and anything. 

“My mom,” he says. He curses as something falls to the floor. “Shit, she’s sick. I have to go.” Jimin and Jeongguk both stand up. Jimin’s eyes seem to turn gold for a second before he shoves it back. 

“Is it-”

“Yeah.” Namjoon nods as he pulls on a pair of boots and grabs a large cloak. “I’ll send someone back to pack my clothes, yeah? Sorry, Your Highness, but-”

Soobin waves his hand. “It’s - um, it’s fine. I don’t care.” Namjoon nods and bows his head at him before racing up the stairs. A minute or so later, there’s the sound of something flapping away. Soobin looks out the window and sees Namjoon riding atop a dragon as it flies off. 

“Does she not live on the island?” he says, tilting his head. Jeongguk shakes his head. 

“He’s originally from Ilsan. That’s on Inura, one of the smallest islands.” Soobin nods. He knows, but he supposes now isn’t the best time to point it out. 

“Um, is there something happening?” he says. “I - well, just for his mother-”

“The winter’s been harsh,” Jeongguk says. Now, everyone around the table is staring at their food and Soobin feels even more uncomfortable as he shifts in his seat. 

“The taxes from the emperor I’m guessing?” he says. He gets a collective round of shrugs from everyone else and stares at the food on his plate. Even though it smells and looks wonderful, his appetite has suddenly disappeared. 

“Namjoon-Hyung uses government funds. This isn’t his building,” Jimin says quietly. “He doesn’t have that much money. He’s just stumbling along and hoping it’s enough to keep himself and his family afloat.” 

“But medication is too expensive?” More nodding. Soobin bites his lip. While he knows that the taxes the emperor uses on his subjects are rather unreasonable considering the mass amount of wealth in possession, he’s never realized how bad it was. 

“Is it like this everywhere?” he says. 

“More or less,” Jeongguk says. He gestures at Hueningkai, Lea, and Bahiyih. “Their mother was - well, she helped with the funding for this place. Me and Jimin-Hyung, though, well . . .” 

“Let’s not talk about it here,” Jimin says. He jerks his head in Bahiyih’s direction. “Not all of us are ready to hear about . . . certain components of our lives before this.” 

Jeongguk nods, mumbling an apology and continuing to eat. Soobin stares blankly at his food, feeling very sick all of a sudden. 

“I’m sorry,” he says, pushing his plate away. There’s saliva filling his mouth at a rapid pace, alerting him of the vomit getting ready to come up. “I’m - I can’t eat right now. I’m not - I’m feeling rather sick.” 

Everyone looks up at him before Jimin and Jeongguk look at each other. They seem to communicate with their eyes before Jimin nods. 

“Okay,” he says. “Would you like me to wrap your food up for later?” 

Soobin, despite knowing that he most definitely won’t eat it, nods. He bites his lip as he stands up, pushing his chair back before retracing his steps to his room. He stumbles toward the bathroom, coughing and hacking, then bends over the toilet and throws up what little food he’d already eaten before Namjoon left. He throws up until it feels as if there’s nothing left, then a little bit more and he’s fine. Soobin sits back and sighs, wiping the drool from his chin. He leans his head against the cold stone of the bathroom wall and closes his eyes, breathing heavily. His throat is sore, but that really isn’t one of his biggest concerns right now. 

As if sensing the darkness in his mind, something chooses that exact moment to collide with his window. Soobin stands up shakily and walks over, unlatching the window and shivering as a burst of icy night wind blows in. A little dragon, Flower, flies in with it, chirping angrily. She drops a large envelope on the ground before crawling out of the window, body plastered to the wall. Soobin frowns and sticks his head out, squinting his eyes to see better. Flower scampers up the and (presumably) to the roosts. Soobin pulls his head back in and shuts the window, hugging himself before picking up the envelope. 

As expected, there’s a very messily stamped seal holding it close. Soobin smiles and traces the red ink with his finger, shaking his head as he delicately pulls it away from the parchment. He carefully pulls the letter out, finding that the parchment is cold from its journey over. 

_ That was fast, _ he thinks.  _ I wonder if he even read my original letter. _

Honestly, Soobin wouldn’t be surprised if Yeonjun had simply skimmed over it. He knows his best friend has busied himself with causing as much trouble as possible and, as Yeonjun put it, “Trouble mustn’t rest. Only the weak say that.” Soobin had asked what the hell he’d meant by that, to which Yeonjun had shrugged and said it was the greatest life logic he could ever come up with. Soobin had said, “I beg to differ,” to which Yeonjun had looked him straight in the eye and responded with, “Then beg.” 

For a nine and ten-year-old, it was a very strange interaction. Soobin isn’t very sure how it happened, but Yeonjun’s always been a bit . . . strange to say the least. Of course, Soobin doesn’t mind this, as one can see from how totally enamored he is with the other boy. 

(Soobin is not, of course, in love with Yeonjun. He’s thirteen years old, too young to know what such a thing is. But Soobin knows that one day, he’s going to wake up and realize that whatever he feels for Yeonjun is far more significant than something as trivial as a little crush. He hasn’t yet, but he will. At some point.)

Sighing, Soobin shakes his head and unfolds the letter. Yeonjun clearly wrote it even faster than usual. His letters are messy, the ink smudged and blotchy. Soobin is thankful he at least had the sense to let it dry before folding it up and cramming it into an envelope to give to Flower, but that doesn’t do anything to help the terrible smudginess of his handwriting. Even Taehyun, someone who uses his left hand rather than his right, has neater handwriting. Then again, he seems to be far more patient than his older brother. 

Now that Soobin thinks about it, Yeonjun is really the one with the most ‘Alpha qualities’ in their little group. He’s loud and rambunctious, making sure everyone knows who he is and that he’s important. And he is, Soobin could never deny such a thing, but it’s simply something that he’s noticed. Taehyun is at least serious and stoic, something Soobin’s seen on Alphas before. He doesn’t apologize for taking up space nor does he let anyone make him feel like he should. And then, of course, there’s Soobin. Soobin whose limbs are too long and who doesn’t know what to do with them so he simply apologizes. Soobin with his too-neat handwriting, his shy smiles and mannerisms, and his low tolerance for embarrassment. 

To many people, he’s an Omega in an Alpha’s body. Defective, they’ve said. Plenty of doctors came in to see him when he was younger, investigating the small boy and trying to figure out how on earth such an anomaly was created. 

“He’s lucky,” one of them said, “that he was born in a Beta's body. If he was an Omega, there’s no chance he’d survive long enough in that world. But there’s no way he’ll become an Alpha. I’d suggest trying for one as soon as possible.” 

Soobin remembers how often his cheeks had colored in embarrassment as he’d pulled his pants down to show that he is, in fact, not an Omega. Soobin is thankful he grew up in a castle as he’s quite sure he’d never make it in a classroom, especially one full of rambunctious young Alphas play-fighting with each other. 

He also remembers, in horribly great detail, the day his rut had first come. He remembers the whispers that had come after, how people had spoken quietly to one another when they thought the young prince wasn’t looking. Soobin’s parents had been quick to send him off, not even allowing the boy any sort of presenting ceremony. Which, to Soobin, is preferable. He’s too anxious and nervous to be the center of attention for that long. 

However, as he begins to learn about life on Eanox, Soobin finds that he’s constantly in the spotlight. The second day, Lea comes and wakes him up, and Soobin is embarrassed when he struggles with his own clothes. It isn’t even because he doesn’t know how, he’s simply so embarrassed to be changing in front of someone. Even for a thirteen year old, Soobin’s body is somewhat toned. He doesn’t have the biceps or abs that both Jimin and Jeongguk do, but he’s got the potential for it. Nonetheless, Soobin shies away from the other Alpha’s stares as he struggles to pull his pants up, tying his shirt closed. His fingers feel far too long and out of place as he does so. They seem to trip and stumble over the leather tassels and Soobin ends up giving up halfway through. He grabs his boots and cloak, stumbling after Lea. 

“How’d you sleep?” Jimin says when he enters. Soobin shrugs. 

“Fine,” he says, sitting down beside Hueningkai. The boy continues to avoid his eyes. 

“You’ll be taming a dragon today, so make sure you eat a lot,” he says. Soobin chokes on his food when he looks up, his eyes wide. 

“What?” he says. Jimin and Jeongguk look at each other then at the young prince. 

“You’re taming a dragon? Everyone does. We probably won’t put you on until Namjoon-Hyung gets back, though,” Jimin says as he continues to eat. Soobin looks over at Hueningkai, Lea, and Bahiyih. 

“Did you guys do it?” he says. 

“Still working,” Hueningkai mumbles. He then proceeds to shove a chunk of rice into his mouth as if to keep anyone else from talking to him. Lea looks at him and raises an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, we both are,” she says. She smiles at her little sister. “Bahiyih is too young. We’re introducing her to the hatchlings this summer, though.”

“Should we do that with him?” Jeongguk whispers, leaning over so he’s closer to Jimin and covering his mouth with his hand. Jimin punches him in the arm. 

“We don’t  _ have _ any hatchlings right now, you doofus,” he says. “Namjoon-Hyung said we could do it anyway. He’s a tough kid, don’t you think?” 

They both look over at Soobin and the prince shrinks under their scrutinization. They look back at each other and Soobin tries not to crawl under the table to die. He really doesn’t like this. 

The first dragon that flies up to him has Soobin screeching wildly and stumbling back, his eyes wide. 

“Don’t scream!” Jimin yells from behind the fence. “You’re making it worse!” 

If Soobin wasn’t about to shit his pants, maybe he’d have some sort of Taehyun-esque response to that. But, right now, as a small but agile reptile with sharp teeth and claws advances toward him, Soobin’s mind is a bit preoccupied. 

They spend several hours in the stables, most of which consist of Soobin screaming and running away from dragons while Jimin yells a lot of very unhelpful advice. Around lunchtime, when his face is red and stinging from the cold winter air, Soobin is lying on the ground, breathing heavily and loudly. He’s staring up at the sky, his mouth and lips dry. He doesn’t hear the sound of another cage being opened nor does he notice the small black reptile making its way toward him until it’s quite literally sitting on top of his chest, golden eyes staring into brown. 

Soobin is too tired to scream. The reptile chirps and sighs, curling up and sighing again as it lies down.

“You - you’d better pay rent, little guy,” Soobin pants. The dragon is roughly the size of a dog and it’s making it a bit hard for Soobin to breathe. 

“Oh, wow, I didn’t think that’d actually work,” Jimin says, suddenly appearing in Soobin’s field of vision. The boy grunts and shoves him back, the dragon squawking at Jimin as well. Soobin huffs a laugh as he reaches up to scratch behind one of the animal’s soft ears, fingers running over delicate scales. 

“What’s your name?” he mumbles. 

A chirp. Soobin looks up. 

“What?” 

Another chirp, but this one (Soobin is almost certain his brain is playing tricks on his ears) sounds like ‘Jjunie’. 

“Jjunie?” Soobin says, tilting his head. “Is that it?” 

Another chirp, though Soobin isn’t sure if it’s from the name or because he’s started scratching a little harder. Either way, it’s the name he’s going with. 

“‘Jjunie’, huh?” Jimin says as he tugs Soobin to his feet. The younger boy huffs as the dragon clambers over him, settling in the hood of his cloak.

“She doesn’t mind, does she?” he says, looking over his shoulder. Jjunie is asleep. Soobin looks over and shrugs, though he knows it’s useless to try and hide his crush from Jimin. “Besides, she’s the only one calm enough for me.” 

Jimin snorts, reaching up to ruffle his hair. His eyes twinkle and he looks proud. Soobin can admit, even though they’re still practically strangers, it feels nice. 

When Namjoon returns, he carries a heavy silence with him. They all travel over to Ilsan for her funeral, though Soobin makes sure to stand to the side. He’s an outsider and he has no right to trespass on it. The funeral is small and Soobin keeps a hood over his head, avoiding eyes as he walks near Namjoon. They’re not quite a ‘pack’ as packs should traditionally be made up of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. Their little group lacks an Omega, though, and is made up of mostly Alphas. Namjoon’s younger sister, Geong-Min, is a Beta. She and her brother stand together as their mother is buried, Namjoon with his arms around his sister’s shaking form. Soobin looks around and notices how many people are attending and how little they all seem to have. Namjoon came over and gave cloaks out but it’s clear such wasn’t enough. The poverty in which the villagers live in is a bit of a wake-up call to Soobin and an indirect warning of what’s to come. 

There is a period of grieving for Namjoon’s mother and then, suddenly so no one is truly prepared, the rebellions are alight. Soobin finds himself shoved into his room to wait them out, looking out his window as masked figures wreck havoc upon the cities. 

It isn’t long before Soobin overhears Namjoon’s hushed conversation with Jimin and Jeongguk about the rebellion. They’re crowded over Namjoon’s desk, speaking quietly in hushed tones. 

“They want us to send him back?!” Jimin whisper-yells. “How? What if-” 

“I was planning to go to Ifan anyway,” Namjoon says, though he’s much calmer than the younger Alpha. He bites his lip. “I - are we actually going through with this?” 

Jimin raises an eyebrow. “If you wanna go get the imperial prince, you’ll never be able to be truly happy without getting rid of the empire first,” he says. Namjoon shoves at him and Jimin snorts a laugh while Jeongguk snickers. 

“No, but seriously,” Namjoon says, “if we fail-”

“We won’t, Hyung,” Jeongguk says, squeezing Namjoon’s hand. “This is going to work, I promise. We’re already close to freeing the far islands - what’s an empire?”

“We don’t even have an army,” Namjoon deadpans. He sits down and sighs, rubbing his face. “I’ll need someone to take the throne, too.” 

“Why not you?” Jimin says. Namjoon takes his glasses off and cleans them. He scoffs a laugh as he puts them back on. 

“Do you really think they’d accept me?” he says. “I’ve had to do so many things to do this - if I took over, I don’t know, I just . . . I don’t think I’d be able to do that. It’s too stressful.” 

Namjoon doesn’t meet their eyes and Soobin can tell he’s lying. There’s another reason, but it’s hidden too well for Soobin to find. 

“Well, then whom?” Jimin says as he sits on the table. 

“I wanted to pick Yeonjun as emperor or empress or whatever the hell you wanna call it,” Namjoon says. He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. “He’d be our best bet if not for the fact that he’s still back on Ifan and there’s no way we could get him here.” 

“I think . . . so you’re picking Soobin?” Jeongguk says. Namjoon hums, nodding. The candle flickers. 

“He’s the closest and I genuinely think he could do it,” he says. Soobin bites his lip. “He . . . he’s shy and nervous, but I believe in him. He’s who I want for it.”

“How do we know he won’t yield the moment he’s presented with a problem, though?” Jimin says. “I - don’t get me wrong, he has a lot of potential, but it’s just that . . . he’s simply so afraid of himself and what he could do.”

“He can do it,” Namjoon insists. “He can, I swear he can.” 

“No one’s denying it, Hyung,” Jeongguk says softly. Soobin moves to leave. 

And then, of course, because his clumsiness has the worst timing, he trips over his own feet and falls. 

“Soobin?” Namjoon says immediately. Soobin lies on the ground and doesn’t answer. Gods, why?

“Oh my gods, did he hear all of that?” Jimin whispers. Soobin decides to get up. He attempts to scramble away but Namjoon grabs his wrist. 

“Soobin-ah,” he says softly, “how much did you hear?” 

And so, that’s how Soobin ends up finding out about the rebellion. It helps him understand the visions, which, much to his own delight, have started to become easier to control. They’re easy to sense but, instead of being helpless when they come, Soobin can (usually) divert his attention to something else. Of course, when he’s asleep it doesn’t work, but he’s getting better. He has yet to tell anyone about them, though he supposes they’re all keeping secrets. The magic dancing beneath Jimin’s skin is quick to reveal itself as is his hosting. 

And then, of course, he attempts to remove the amulet. Soobin walks in on him, lying on the ground, barely alive as the light begins to drain from his eyes. His skin is frantically trying to knit itself back together and Soobin attempts to pick him up. His blood, a color akin to that of the fancy wine Namjoon sometimes drinks in celebration, soaks through the soft shirt Soobin wears. It drips into Soobin’s pants but that’s nothing compared to what’s become of Jimin’s clothes. His shirt, once a cream color, is soaked red and his pants are a shade darker than they used to be. 

“Help!” Soobin yells. He feels a vision attempting to push into his consciousness and is forced to fight it while simultaneously carrying Jimin down to the medical bay. Which, since they’re now living in Namjoon’s house in Ilsan, has a location unknown to Soobin. 

“Help!” he yells again, raising his voice as fear creeps into it. Jimin’s gotten significantly lighter since he started dieting, but Soobin’s knees still shake as his muscles strain to carry the boy. His skin is pale from the loss of blood, the sanguine liquid finding a knee home in their clothes and on their skin. 

“Soobin!” Jeongguk says as he finds the prince. Soobin hands him Jimin and Jeongguk rushes down the hall, talking quietly and quickly to himself. He runs out and Soobin opens the door, then they’re headed down the street to the doctor’s office. 

By the time Jimin is declared ‘stable’ or whatever the doctors say, Soobin’s fallen asleep on Jeongguk’s shoulder. Maybe it’s not the best time, but he can hardly stand to stay awake any longer. Of course, with sleep comes a vision, but Soobin thinks it’s a better escape. 

However, when he wakes up with a sword pierced through his gut, he can’t help but wonder if such a thing is true. He looks down as pain courses through his veins, then falls back. His eyes flutter as a blood-curdling scream breaks through the dead silence of the battlefield. The sword is tugged from his stomach but Soobin knows there’s no chance of survival. Someone tugs him into their arms and Soobin feels his eyes flutter again. He licks his lips and tastes blood. The same person who tugged him into their arms is crying, tears landing on his cheeks as they scream and beg. Soobin reaches up with a shaking hand and presses their lips together before the vision fades. 

What he gets next isn’t much worse. Soobin stands beside a young boy who could be no older than fifteen or sixteen, his curly black hair a mess around his head. His breathing is labored as some sort of infection eats away at his fragile body. Soobin clutches the boy’s hand as the boy whispers to him weakly, a soft smile gracing his anguished features. He hears the sound of hurried footsteps as someone swings the door open. He looks over just as the vision disappears, leaving Soobin in the dust as he wonders what on earth he was just shown. 

Of course, he’s unable to continue to do so when Jeongguk wakes him up. 

“They say we can go and see him now,” he says softly. Soobin hums, rubbing his eyes sleepily before trudging after him. They follow the doctor to Jimin’s room. He’s lying in the bed, fast asleep. Jeongguk gestures at Soobin to sit. 

“Are the others coming?” Soobin says hoarsely. Jeongguk nods. 

“Namjoon is back in the capital,” he says, “so I’ll send him a letter. Lea and Bahiyih and Huening should be on their way. Their school is far.” 

Soobin hums. He looks at Jimin and his sleeping form, how pale he still is. His breathing is labored, just as the boy in the vision, but he feels a relief he didn’t when he looked onto the boy. Jimin is going to live while death for that boy was very clearly unavoidable. 

Sighing, Soobin hugs himself and shivers. Just then, Jeongguk reaches into his pocket and pulls out an envelope. 

“It’s from Prince Yeonjun,” he says as he hands it to Soobin. “Or - well, it’s from your parents, but there’s something in it from him.” Soobin nods as he places the letter on his lap, folding his hands on top of it. 

“Did Taehyun present? Is that it?” he says, desperately trying to distract himself from Jimin. 

Jeongguk, thankfully, plays along and says, “Something like that. It’s what I’ve heard.” 

Soobin hums. “We’ve always thought he was going to be an Alpha. I just don’t think Yeonjun-Hyung did.”

“Why not?” Jeongguk says as Soobin shrugs a response. 

“Dunno,” he says. “But, like, part of it might be because of how little experience he has with the outside world. Hell, he doesn’t know if I’m an Alpha or not.”

“Don’t you two write letters to one another, though? Would it not have come up there?” 

Soobin, once again, shrugs. He doesn’t know. Yeonjun never seemed to ask and he says this to Jeongguk because there aren’t any other explanations he can think of. 

“How do you think he’ll react when he finds out you’ve presented as an Alpha?” Jeongguk says, picking at a loose thread in his pants. 

Soobin, for the third time in less than an hour, shrugs. He doesn’t quite know. 

Sooner rather than later, Soobin finds himself on a trip back to Ifan. He’ll travel to Dragon City to meet with Namjoon, then he’ll be sent back to the coast. These complications are purposeful; once the rebellions started, Soobin’s mother sent a letter to Namjoon, requesting that her son be moved somewhere else. Namjoon (obviously) lied and said he’d take Soobin to the capital, though, in reality, Soobin’s been in Ilsan the entire time. Which is why he’s sent back to the capital a couple of weeks before the party. 

As expected, Soobin’s parents are indifferent to his return. He’s brought to his chambers which feel . . . smaller, per se. Soobin’s had quite the growth spurt and he’s still growing at a very steady pace. But there’s something else yet Soobin can’t quite put his finger on it. 

He sighs, shaking his head as he walks into the bathroom. It seems as if the servants taking care of the palace have continued to clean, for which Soobin is thankful due to his tiny dust allergy. When Namjoon moved into his new house, it wasn’t nearly as nice. 

Soobin sinks into the bathtub once it’s full and stares blankly at the ceiling above him. The room smells nice from the scented oils and soaps and probably a few flowers too, but it doesn’t calm Soobin enough. As he prepared to leave, he grew antsy about Jimin and Geong-Min taking care of him with only the help of Lea, Bahiyih, and Hueningkai. Jeongguk left a few days before Soobin and Namjoon has remained in the capital. And then, of course, there’s Yeonjun. 

Gods, he really hasn’t seen Yeonjun anywhere but his dreams, has he? They last saw each other face-to-face . . . what was it, five years ago? Soobin can’t believe it. It’s rather amazing that they’ve maintained such a good friendship for so long. 

_ But your stupid ass couldn’t not catch feelings, could it? _ Soobin’s mind nags. Soobin grunts and shifts in the water. 

_ It’s not like we’ll go anywhere if this fails, _ he thinks.  _ Yeonjun will get an arranged marriage and I’ll be executed. Chances are, we won’t succeed as a rebellion. We have so little support that it’d be like a mouse trying to fight a dragon if we ever attacked.  _

Soobin sighs loudly into the silence of the bathroom. He gets out and shakes his head, drying off. Seemingly out of nowhere, groups of servants appear to help him get dressed. Soobin is glad his clothes still fit him. Or, well, he supposes there aren’t from two years ago but rather designed after Namjoon sent in a bunch of his sizes. Soobin is rather grateful for that. 

The ride to the southern region of Ifan is quiet. Soobin is asked a few questions (no more than twenty) and he answers them all quickly without much detail. Which, to both of his mothers, is fine. They don’t care and, quite frankly, neither does Soobin. Here’s not to say he enjoys the silence, but he supposes it’s better than being asked a bunch of questions he’d rather not answer. 

They arrive in the city and Soobin’s heart beats faster with every step closer. The early fall chill has crept into the summer, and Soobin tugs his cloak closer. He digs his nails into the skin of his palms, chewing on his lower lip. His skin feels dry from the cold, and even the carriage doesn’t protect them from it. 

Finally, they enter the palace. Soobin mingles with guests as per his parents’ request, though he can tell that none of the other princes and princesses are very interested in attending. The same goes for the young nobles, but it’s only polite. 

A few times, he notices Jeongguk standing around. He’s good at blending in, even as a few of the bolder Omegas come up and speak to him. The boy plays along, though Soobin finds himself snickering whenever their eyes meet and he begs for help. 

When Yeonjun arrives, Soobin feels his heart leap into his throat in a desperate attempt to run to the blue-haired prince. He feels his cheeks heat up at the sight before him, even though he knows Yeonjun absolutely  _ despises _ the gown he’s wearing. Soobin swallows hard. It still looks good. 

Yeonjun sits down and he immediately slouches. Soobin hides a snicker behind his hand at his best friend’s antics, though Yeonjun has yet to notice Soobin himself. The queen angrily whispers something to her son and it seems to have the opposite effect as Yeonjun slouches even more and spreads his legs in a wide v-shape. Soobin feels the blood rushing up to his cheeks and face among other things at the position, though he attempts to stomp out any thoughts from what it could implicate in a different situation. Gods, that would be embarrassing. 

Once again, Yeonjun’s mother whispers something to him. It seems as if the prince isn’t fully aware of how deeply he’s slouching as he hits his head on the seat of his throne. He sits up, rubbing the back of his head as the guests laugh. Soobin finds it hard to, though, when Yeonjun looks so very embarrassed by it. He bites his lip and looks away from the crowd as the gifts begin to pile up in front of Taehyun. 

It isn’t until Soobin’s feet begin to hurt that Yeonjun notices him. He was whispering with Taehyun hardly even a second before, then he turns and locks eyes with Soobin. Yeonjun frowns and Soobin tilts his head before offering a soft smile. Yeonjun’s mouth turns into a little ‘o’ and Soobin wonders how they’d feel against his own. 

As soon as he’s freed from his throne, Yeonjun comes hurtling in Soobin’s direction. Of course, Soobin doesn’t notice this until he hears someone  _ choke _ and then collapse. 

“Yeonjun-Hyung!” Soobin cries. He rushes forward, crouching down. 

“Hyung?” he says. Yeonjun gulps and nods as if he’s saying it really is Yeonjun. Gods, Soobin can’t believe they’re touching. And their lips are so, so-

Yeonjun cups his face and whatever train of thought Soobin might’ve had is cut off. 

“You’re here,” Yeonjun says, sounding mystified. Soobin nods as he helps him to his feet, heart beating wildly in his chest. Soobin finds that he’s taller than Yeonjun and, for some reason, he finds it quite difficult to stomach the information as he drowns in soft, brown pools. The light from the chandeliers makes them a shade lighter than usual, turning the usual dark chocolate into a light caramel that has Soobin’s stomach doing flips. 

Suddenly, before Soobin has any time to think, Yeonjun leaps onto him, wrapping his arms and legs around the younger boy. Soobin feels himself stumble before he too wraps his arms around Yeonjun. The scent of vanilla and honey surrounds him and, for no reason at all, Soobin feels like crying. 

“I missed you,” Yeonjun whispers. His voice is thick as if he’s about to burst into tears. “Where’d you go?” 

“To the Dragon City, remember?” Soobin lies. Yeonjun sniffles and presses himself closer. 

“Yeah,” Yeonjun says, “but you weren’t supposed to be gone for five years.” Soobin begins to carry his friend around the room, ignoring the heat in his cheeks. 

“Sorry, Hyung,” he says. Gods, they’re  _ so close. _ It wouldn’t be hard to kiss Yeonjun right now. His lips have always been rather plump and pouty, something Soobin has never not found endearing. Then again, to Soobin, everything about Yeonjun is endearing. 

“Your Royal Highness,” someone says. Both princes look up. Soobin feels his instincts snarl at the man as he eyes Yeonjun. He prays it isn’t obvious when his grip on Yeonjun’s thighs tightens. 

“Which one?” Yeonjun teases. Soobin half-forces a giggle out, but he also thinks it’s funny. The man rolls his eyes and Yeonjun grins. 

“The dance is beginning, Highness, and you are expected to partake in the activity,” he says, growing even more annoyed. Soobin tries not to growl. 

“Which one?” Yeonjun says, his voice carrying a lilting tune. Soobin begins to spin, trying to subtly move away. 

“Prince Yeonjun-”

“See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Yeonjun says. He seems to be aware that Soobin is walking away but he wiggles about in his hold, resting a hand on his shoulder and balancing on it as he waves. “Bye!” 

Once they’re out of sight (hopefully), Soobin puts Yeonjun back down. The older prince is quick to grab his hand before racing away, Soobin laughing as he follows. It isn’t long before they reach the palace gardens, the stars twinkling overhead. 

The night air has only gotten colder. Soobin looks over at Yeonjun and finds that he’s shivering, his dress doing little to nothing to protect him from the early fall chill. It’s practically an instinct as he undoes the clasp of his cloak and drapes it over Yeonjun’s shoulders, his eyes straying to him. Gods, he really is so beautiful, isn’t he?

Just then, Yeonjun looks over. 

“Bin,” he says. Soobin tries not to smile as he tilts his head, his heart beating fondly. 

“You were cold,” he says with a shrug. 

“But you’re younger than me!” 

Soobin snorts. “And you told me to put my elders first!” 

Yeonjun gasps, indignant as he says, “Yah, did you just call me your elder?!” 

_ Well, you  _ are _ older than me, _ Soobin thinks. “No, you’re my Hyung!” he says. It draws a dissatisfied huff from Yeonjun but, nonetheless, he tugs the cloak closer. Soobin wonders what would happen if he was to wrap an arm around Yeonjun’s waist, spinning him around and simultaneously tugging him closer. 

_ As if you could ever pull off a move like that, _ he thinks. But Yeonjun is slowly inching closer, then they’re scooting back until they reach a small stone bench. They sit down and Soobin lets his head fall to rest on Yeonjun’s shoulder. Yeonjun adjusts the cloak so they’re both covered by the soft expanse of fur, snuggling closer while Soobin closes his eyes. They fall into the should-be unfamiliar position as easily as a baby cries, and Soobin allows himself to think that maybe things will work out. 

-

Years pass, and Soobin’s training to become an emperor grows more and more laborious. The rebellion grows until Soobin finds himself sitting constantly by Namjoon’s side as meetings are discussed with the rest of his council. 

And then, of course, comes Seokjin. He and Namjoon had met long before, though it couldn’t really be called such. They’d seen each other and never forgotten, then Namjoon had gotten a job as a gardener in the palace to learn more about the layout. They’d met again and exchanged names, though it’s not as if Namjoon didn’t know Seokjin’s. His letters grow happier as he begins to send reports that, rather than being about the castle, are about Seokjin. The imperial prince seems to have carved himself a place in Namjoon’s heart quite quickly, though Namjoon has stated upon multiple occasions that he refuses to make any advances until he  _ knows _ Seokjin is okay with it. Which, to Soobin, is great and all, but there’s a problem and that problem is that Namjoon can be so terrible at reading people it’d be funny if he didn’t feel bad. Jimin, however, had smiled and cooed about it before cackling loudly about how Seokjin would have to write a confession on his forehead to get through to Namjoon. 

But, eventually, it happens. Soobin, of course, isn’t there to see it, but he reads Namjoon’s reports and letters. He can smell the faint hints of peaches and cream on them, signs from Seokjin. Namjoon’s words are like honey, moving slowly and sweetly across the page as he describes the time spent with him. Their romance is sweet to read about and Soobin wistfully wonders if such a thing could happen to himself and Yeonjun. 

Unlike Namjoon and Seokjin, the letters and interactions the two share feel tense with something hanging between them. It might be Soobin’s fault, though. 

Soobin is human. Soobin is human and that means he experiences normal human things such as lust. 

Gods, it’s quite a strange thing, lust. Soobin wouldn’t say he’s - well, he wouldn’t say he’s horny constantly, but hey, he’s eighteen. What could one expect from him?

[ _ BITE _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLuWMOF6vOU)

Dreaming about Yeonjun isn’t something that happens infrequently, but Soobin wouldn’t say it’s a common occurrence either. It happens sporadically and leaves his lips tingling, his muscles tensed, and his mind wandering. 

The most recent one has Soobin waking up in a bedroom that isn’t his own. He looks around, stares at the silvery moonlight streaming through the window and the figure who bathes in it. Soft, white robes cover endless areas of pale skin that Soobin longs to explore, his hands itching to touch. Aquamarine curls are lightened by the moonlight, though no other features may be distinguished as the figure’s back is to him. The white robes don’t leave much to imagination as they’re very nearly translucent, allowing Soobin to admire delicate curves and hard-earned muscles. He swallows hard and licks his lips, quietly standing up from the bed. He looks down and finds himself to be wearing robes similar to the ones on Yeonjun, just as loose and delicate. 

Before he can call out his name, breaking the delicate silence of the room, Yeonjun turns around. His lips are just as plump and pink as Soobin remembers, his brown eyes glowing beneath the silver light of the moon. His hands remain by his sides as he looks up at Soobin, blinking slowly. Soobin walks forward and reaches out, careful. The Yeonjun projected before him seems delicate as if he’s a pretty porcelain doll for Soobin to play with. Soobin caresses Yeonjun’s cheek with his knuckles, eyes hungrily drinking in the way Yeonjun leans into the touch. Yeonjun’s tongue darts out to run over his petal-pink lips, leaving them slickened with spit. Soobin wonders how they’d look fat and swollen from his attention, how they’d redden under his teeth. He wonders how Yeonjun would look at him, how his eyes would go big and wide, how his pale skin would flush and flesh would bruise. Soobin wonders. 

“Beautiful,” Soobin whispers, the first word of the night. Yeonjun blinks, his eyelashes long and black, then opens his eyes to stare at Soobin. 

“Kiss me,” he breathes, his voice soft. Soobin leans forward and presses their lips together, shutting his eyes as he wraps an arm around Yeonjun’s waist. Deft hands come to tangle in his hair, further messing it up. Not that Soobin could ever be bothered to care as he leads Yeonjun to the bed, letting the Omega lie down before backing him into the cushions. Yeonjun’s lips are soft and sweet, tasting of vanilla and honey and Yeonjun. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice tells Soobin that this is a dream and by continuing these activities he’s only making his situation worse. But Soobin doesn’t care, not as Yeonjun opens his mouth for him to lick into, tilting his head for better access. He feels a hand reaching beneath his shirt, running over his skin and tracing the scars from Jjunie and going too roughly in spars. And then, of course, the fighting component of the rebellion. 

But Soobin isn’t going to think of that. Here, in his dreamscape, only he and Yeonjun exist. There is no one to keep them apart or to deny them of each other. Soobin kisses Yeonjun harder and swallows up the moan the other releases when his fangs scrape the plump swell of Yeonjun’s bottom lip. 

He pulls away, but only to admire the way Yeonjun looks. His blue hair is tangled and his eyes are lidded, the soft chocolate which Soobin has grown to love shining with little speckles of moonlight. Yeonjun’s lips, normally oh-so pink and plump, are dark and shining with their spit. They’re swelling from kissing Soobin, and his cheeks are also flushed red, as is his neck. Soobin leans down and begins pressing kisses from his ear down the column of his neck, finally allowing himself to discover how Yeonjun’s skin looks when bruised. 

As expected, he’s breathtakingly beautiful. The word ‘pretty’ simply doesn’t do Yeonjun justice as Soobin suckles hickeys onto his skin, growling low in the back of his throat. Yeonjun’s gasping and crying out, panting loudly.

“Soo-Soobin,” he says. Soobin looks up, tilting his head. 

“What is it?” he says. Yeonjun stares at him before tugging him close and kissing him roughly, fingers tangled in Soobin’s hair. Soobin can’t pull away, he  _ can’t _ . Not when Yeonjun tastes sweeter than sugar and his lips are soft as flower petals. Not when he gasps oh-so-prettily as Soobin grips his thigh hard enough to leave bruises. He’s pulling Soobin closer and closer as if any distance between them is a punishment worse than death. And, right now, it truly feels as if such is true. 

They shed their clothes and Soobin looks upon Yeonjun with a sense of awe. While he’s quite aware of the fact that he’s dreaming, he still finds himself rendered breathless by Yeonjun. His skin is flushed pink and Soobin can’t help it as he leans down to bite a hickey onto his collarbone, tongue running over the marks left by his teeth to soothe it. Yeonjun’s hands fly to his hair on instinct, managing to somehow push Soobin closer. 

And then, of course, because Soobin has terrible luck, he’s tugged from the dream by someone pouring a bucket of water on his head. 

Soobin sits up, spluttering indignantly as he pushes his hair - now plastered to his forehead - away from his face. He glares at Hueningkai but the boy only snickers. 

“Better take care of that, Hyung,” he sing-songs, gesturing to Soobin’s crotch. The Alpha looks down before squeaking and covering the space with his hands. 

“Get out!” he cries. “Leave me be, you brat!” Hueningkai cackles as he dashes out, leaving the bucket. It isn’t until his laughter fades away that Soobin looks down and sighs heavily, putting his head in his hands. Gods fucking  _ dammit _ . 

So, yeah, maybe the fact that Soobin is having wet dreams about his best friend has put a distance between them. No biggie. And it really shouldn’t be because there’s no  _ way _ Yeonjun could possibly know about that. How would Soobin bring it up, anyway? Oh, yeah, hey, I’m in love with you and I think you’re hot - wanna bang? Psh, Soobin? The shyest person in the world? Maybe when the oceans and the skies switch places. And even then it’s unlikely. 

Nonetheless, they continue writing letters to each other. Yeonjun tells Soobin about Taehyun’s secret lover, an Omega by the name of Beomgyu. He sends a few drawings that Soobin keeps, despite how terrible they are. Yeonjun isn’t the greatest artist, but Soobin still finds it terribly endearing with how hard he tries. 

When Lea turns nineteen, she and Bahiyih decide to move back to Ifan. Permanently. And, very obviously, they try to convince Hueningkai to join them. However, the boy refuses. He insists that he has a place in the rebellion with his magic, that he has something to do here. 

(Soobin also knows that he feels as if he’ll never be able to make a name for himself with two Alphas as his sisters. He also knows that Hueningkai is almost certain that he’d never survive there. They’ve spoken about his asexuality, though it’s not something that comes up often. Hueningkai seems to be trying to ignore it until it stops existing.)

Three days before Soobin’s own birthday, Hueningkai sneaks into his room, sniffling and wiping his eyes furiously. Soobin slowly blinks himself awake, humming when the boy crawls over to lie beside him. 

“They left,” Hueningkai says hoarsely. Which - well, Soobin already knows that because Bahiyih and Lea moved back a week ago, but Hueningkai still wakes up in the middle of the night, missing them like crazy. He’d always go to their rooms when he needed it, but now that they’re gone, Soobin’s the one he turns to. Soobin doesn’t mind. 

“C’mere,” Soobin says hoarsely, patting the space in the bed beside him. Hueningkai curls up by his side, snuggling close. He’s nearly as tall as Soobin, and he tries to make himself smaller to get closer. Soobin wraps his arms around the boy and buries his face in thick brown curls, hugging him. It isn’t long before Hueningkai’s tears begin to drip down his cheeks, soaking into the thin material of Soobin’s shirt. He ends up falling asleep, though, and that’s all that really matters. 

They return to Ifan the day of Soobin’s birthday. December fifth, Hueningkai and Soobin are packing up to go. Jeongguk is already working in the imperial palace as the head general while Jimin owns a library in the south. As for Namjoon, he’s staying in Ilsan. He’s running the entire cluster of islands once controlled by the Ifanian empire. Soobin, to say the least, is extremely impressed by it. Namjoon tries to get him in on making decisions but, somehow, Soobin always ends up pulling out right before. He can see the lingering disappointment in his eyes whenever Soobin skirts around making decisions. It hurts, but Soobin’s far too scared of messing up to try. The thought of disappointing Namjoon even more is too powerful as it prowls in the depths of Soobin’s mind, whispering in his ear and warning him to stay quiet. Besides, it’s not like there’s anything important that Soobin has to say, right?

(Namjoon doesn’t think that. Soobin doesn’t know it, but Namjoon spends hours in his study trying to find ways to help Soobin out of shell. Soobin doesn’t know, though.)

“Are you excited?” Hueningkai says, squinting against the wind as it whips his long hair around. Soobin shrugs. 

“To see Yeonjun-Hyung and Taehyun and probably Jeongguk-Hyung and Jimin-Hyung? Duh. To see my parents and all of those annoying princes and princesses? No.”

Hueningkai laughs. He pulls his cloak closer and shivers as the icy winds attack them yet again. 

“What’s it like? Thinking of the rebellion?” 

Soobin arches an eyebrow. As he shrugs, shivering a bit. 

“What do you mean?” he says, staring out at the wild sea. Or, well, it’s not exactly  _ wild _ , but Soobin most certainly doesn’t want to fall in. Despite being born on the coast and spending much of his childhood on an island, Soobin isn’t the strongest swimmer. He’s not as bad as most royals (the Omegas and female Betas), but Soobin knows he tends to disappoint people with how bad his swimming skills are. Sure, he could probably survive if he happened to fall, but he’s not like Jeongguk or Jimin or even Hueningkai. Soobin doesn’t know if Namjoon’s any good, but he suspects he is. It would make sense. 

“About this? I mean . . . well-”

“What do I think about betraying my parents, is that what you mean?” Soobin says. Hueningkai looks sheepish as he nods. Soobin shrugs, biting his lip. Does he?

“Not really anything, I guess,” Soobin says. He sighs, his breath creating a puff that’s whisked away by the salty spray of the water lapping against the sides of the boat. “It - I’ve never known them that well. Is there anything I should feel? Like, guilt or something? I mean, sure, they took me in, but they’ve both . . . I dunno, I guess I’ve always kind of resented them both for not being actual parents when they’re the ones who asked for me. And, to - and, like, they treated me like I was less because everyone thought I’d be a Beta or something. I dunno. I just . . . there’s not really anything tying us together, not even blood - what’s there to feel?” 

Hueningkai hums, though he doesn’t say anything. Soobin sneaks a glance over at him, trying to gauge a reaction of any sort. Hueningkai - among everyone else Soobin’s grown up with - knows the prince is adopted. He’s part of a very exclusive group of people, as it would be quite the scandal if the public found out. Soobin doesn’t feel like dealing with that. 

“I don’t blame you,” Hueningkai finally says. He picks at his fingernails and bites his lip. “It - Not that I can understand  _ your _ situation, but I . . . we’ve both lived lives without parents.”

Soobin hums, looking over to grin at Hueningkai. He ruffles the boy’s hair and draws a laugh from him. They head down below deck, then, as the wind has gotten a bit too strong. 

There’s a stone at the bottom of his stomach when he arrives on the Ifanian shores. Hueningkai hugs him tightly, his eyes shut and he embraces the older boy. Soobin drops his things to do the same and tries not to cry. 

“You’ll be okay, right?” he says, his voice sounding horribly hoarse. Hueningkai nods, sniffling. 

“Uh-huh,” he says, his voice just as hoarse and thick with tears as Soobin’s. 

“Do you remember where to go?” 

“Jimin-Hyung’s library, yeah. Hyung, he’s picking me up, you know? We have a little bit of time left, don’t we?” Soobin looks up and around at the crowd, then he nods. He picks up his things and Hueningkai follows suit. It isn’t long before they’re both standing amidst the crowd, looking for Jimin. 

“There you are!” a cheery voice cries. Jimin ties his horse up before rushing over and hugging them both. Soobin and Hueningkai do the same, and Soobin finds more tears pricking his eyes once again. When they pull apart, he looks down at them, biting his lip. 

“Aw, Soobinnie, don’t cry,” Jimin says, reaching up and wiping a tear off of Soobin’s cheek. The younger Alpha sniffles and looks away, hiding his face behind his arm. Jimin coos and stands on his tiptoes to wipe the tears away, clicking his tongue. 

“We’ll see you soon,” he says. “This isn’t goodbye, all right?”

Soobin nods, wiping his eyes. He sniffles again. 

“How - make sure to keep me updated on Namjoon-Hyung and his relationship, yeah?” he says because any letters to the palace from the far islands would be like a signature on Soobin’s death certificate. 

“All right,” Jimin says, smiling at him. He squeezes Soobin’s hand and then turns and tugs Hueningkai toward the horse, climbing on as the Beta joins in. Soobin waves at them, a melancholy smile making its way across his face. 

It doesn’t take long to get Soobin to a carriage. He sits quietly and picks at his clothes, chewing on his lower lip and wondering about what’s to happen. He’ll be starting lessons on becoming king, though more and more of Soobin has begun to think that it’s useless. He’s seen a bunch of different scenes in his visions that make hardly any sense at all. For instance, he’s seen himself forced over an execution block, waiting quietly for his imminent death. He’s  _ seen _ himself die before, far too many times for him to consider it unlikely. Yet he’s also seen himself as the emperor, looking out upon the lands he rules. Soobin has a theory that the closer something gets, the less likely it is to be shown. He’s also guessing that he’s shown visions of more plausible futures. Sometimes, of course, it goes a little haywire, but that doesn’t happen often. The words about the empress sitting upon a throne of violets have begun to surface again, though Soobin isn’t sure what they are or where they come from. Despite how he can sometimes summon them to the surface, Soobin is still unable to look at certain timelines. It’s frustrating, though he supposes he’s got a victory or two under his belt because he can (sort of) control the visions and prophecies(?). Don’t judge him for calling them that; Soobin has yet to figure a better name or title out. Calling them ‘prophecies’ works, doesn’t it?

“Your Highness, we’re here,” the gruff voice of a guard calls from outside. Soobin tugs on his cloak and adjusts his robes as he carefully steps out, looking around. 

Much to his surprise, there’s a sort of celebration. It’s not exactly something very grand, but Soobin knows it’s a lot for his parents. A few banners, a band, and some other festivities Soobin doesn’t feel like naming - they’re all out for Soobin. He supposes he appreciates the thought behind it, if only a little bit. 

With a stoic expression, Soobin rides his horse down the decorated streets, trying to get rid of the sick feeling in his stomach as he does so. His knuckles are white from how hard he’s gripping the reins and his head spins as he gets closer and closer to the palace gates. Gods, he wishes he at least had Jjunie here with him. 

_ Or Yeonjun-Hyung, _ he thinks. Soobin swallows hard and tries to clear his mind of the blue-haired prince. He has to stay focused. 

(And no, staying focused on Yeonjun does  _ not _ count. He has to stay focused on his duties as a prince. For the sake of the gods, please, Soobin.)

He reaches the palace and watches forlornly as his horse is led away. Soobin wipes his sweaty hands on his pants before realizing he’s wearing gloves. Shaking his head, Soobin begins to walk slowly to the castle. It looms over him, large stone columns and towers casting dark shadows over the courtyard. It’s nothing at all like Ilsan - then again, Ilsan is a village while Soobin is in a city. Soobin misses Ilsan. 

“Hello, Soobin,” his mother greets. Soobin bows at his parents and swallows the lump in his throat. 

“Hello, Mother, Father,” he says, his voice still and uncharacteristically steady. He can see his parents are both surprised by the action as the two women look at each other, raising their eyebrows in question. Soobin remembers how, as a young boy, he could hardly even look either of them in the eye. 

“How was your trip?” his mother asks, making a quick recovery. Soobin catches himself as he gets ready to shrug. 

“It was fine,” he says. He shifts in place. “How have things been whilst I was away?” 

Soobin’s father adjusts her crown. Her hair, though long, is tied in a simple ponytail to keep it away from her face, unlike her wife’s. The Omega’s black curls are done in an elaborate hairstyle, gold and jewels decorating it. Soobin shifts a bit more. 

“They’ve been fine,” the woman finally says. Soobin nods. 

“You should go rest,” Soobin’s mother says. Soobin nods again and bows before turning around and walking out. He just wants to get away from that terribly cold and empty room. Gods, he can’t believe he already misses Ilsan. 

Soobin, as the year slowly drags itself along, begins to get sick of being back with his parents. He sends letters constantly to Yeonjun, Taehyun, Jimin, and Hueningkai, begging to be taken back. In the letters from Jimin and Hueningkai, there are often encrypted bits of information and reports on the rebellion. Using ink with a special keyword to get it to show itself, Jimin copied Namjoon’s entire letter. It’s not a common occurrence, though, and Soobin thinks he only does it when the reports Namjoon gives are too difficult to sum up. 

But, no matter what, Soobin will always look forward to Yeonjun’s letters the most. There’s just something about the way he writes - how intricately everything seems to be described as if he’s trying to project the experience to Soobin in his bedroom as he reads them. And then, of course, there’s the soft and unfortunately faint scent of vanilla and honey that graces the parchment. Soobin doesn’t think he’ll ever get over Yeonjun. He doesn’t think he can. 

-

When Jimin sends Soobin an envelope that’s become a package due to the amount of things kept inside, Soobin knows something’s up. His hands are shaking as he uses a knife to gently cut the wax seal open, as Jimin has written on the insides of the envelopes before and hands that are too rough or eager or nervous can rip them. So, Soobin carefully dumps the letters out. 

“ _ Browallia, _ ” he whispers. It’s Jimin’s favorite flower and something no one would ever guess to be their keyword. 

As expected, the envelope and the margins of the letters are full of words. The distractions on the letters disappear and Soobin picks up the papers before picking up the large necklace that fell out. It’s a large, round ruby with a silver gumiho curled around it, small, jewel-eyes glittering in the light. Soobin puts it on and tucks it beneath his shirt, then picks up the letter. 

_Soobin,_ _  
__In one week, you’ll be headed to the Dragon City for Seokjin’s wedding party. He knows, don’t worry. However, when you two speak, be sure to keep it private. Jeongguk is also there and he’ll be watching to make sure everything is going smoothly. There’s a map enclosed - that’s why it’s so heavy. On the envelope, I’ve copied the passwords and names of those whom you can trust. It’ll be just you, me, and Jeongguk there, though, so try and stay out of trouble, yeah? If anything goes wrong at the ball, just get to safety with everyone else - I don’t want you getting hurt, okay?_ _  
__Ah, yes, you’re probably seeking more information on Seokjin (I don’t actually know if that’s true, let’s just say you are). Anyway, we’ve come to the conclusion that his father has set him up to be murdered by whomever he’ll be marrying so that Yoongi may take his place. You may or may not be asked to help place clues for his brothers (don’t ask him or me or anyone why). He’ll say something about hydrangeas, all right? HYDRANGEAS. Whatever you do, don’t forget it. You’ll have to respond with something about chrysanthemums. CHRYSANTHEMUMS, okay? Also, about his brothers - don’t bring this up around them. We don’t know whom we can trust and, even if Seokjin thinks they’d be loyal to the cause, we can’t risk it. Oh, and I’m bringing Jjunie over to you. Your parents are going to be forced to stay and you’ll be able to take her, okay? She’ll have a bunch of saddlebags; the one with your name on it has a traveling permit, though I wouldn’t be surprised if your parents gave you one._ _  
__Anyway, the plan for the night of the ball is for you and Jeongguk to watch Seokjin to keep him out of trouble. I’ll be hanging around, though, if anything goes wrong, I’ll show up. Don’t wait for me or Guk, yeah?_ _  
__Hugs and kisses from me and Huening,_ _  
___-Jimin

Soobin snorts before holding the letter out to the fire. As they always do, the letter goes up in flames, though it leaves no traces, not even a thin wisp of smoke. There aren’t even ashes. 

As the letter said, Soobin’s mother falls sick and her wife stays to tend to her. Soobin finds Jjunie sitting at the gates and, despite being unable to sense it, he knows Jimin or Hueningkai used some sort of magic on her to make sure she got through. Soobin finds that his things are packed and for that he’s thankful as he climbs onto the dragon. It’s comforting to feel Jjunie’s scales beneath his hands, smooth and familiar as Soobin traces them idly before taking off. The dragon beats her wings, launching into the air and rapidly gaining speed. The summer wind whips at his face and Soobin grabs the helmet of sorts, squinting against the wind. It’s hot but not too dry as they slowly fly farther from the coast. Soobin moves so Jjunie is gliding over the terrain below. 

“Do you know where to go?” he asks. The dragon hums and Soobin pats the side of her neck before taking his helmet off and attaching it to the saddle. 

“How long’s the trip supposed to take?” he says. This is a question Jjunie, for obvious reasons, can’t answer. Soobin sighs. He reaches for the letter and unfolds the map, though he trusts Jjunie to go in the right direction. He wonders if there’s a list of stops and such. Soobin remembers, somewhere in the far reaches of his memory, that they once went back to Ifan’s infamous Deep Forest and put little supply packs in the branches of certain trees.

The memory causes Soobin to look down and he then notices the seemingly endless sea of trees beneath him. It’s pretty, though he can also see someone (probably Hueningkai) saying that it looks like a whole lot of broccoli. Soobin shakes his head fondly at the thought, looking down at Jjunie. The dragon’s been gliding smoothly for the entire ride, much to Soobin’s relief, and the prince prays it’ll stay that way. 

It does, in fact, go smoothly. At least, the skies are clear until they land and set up camp. Almost immediately, it begins to rain. Soobin blinks once, then twice, then he turns to look over at Jjunie. The dragon has made a small shelter of sorts with her wings and she invites Soobin under. Lightning strikes and thunder booms in the distance, and it’s all Soobin needs before he’s scrambling to hide. He swears he hears his dragon laugh at him as he shivers, snuggling close to her. Soobin shifts in place and sighs heavily, closing his eyes and hugging himself. It’s really pouring buckets, isn’t it?

“Gods, do you think it’ll let up by morning?” he says to the dragon. Jjunie nudges him with her snout and Soobin hums, reaching up to scratch her behind her ears. He sighs and pulls his knees up to his chest, resting his head on top of them. Soobin blinks slowly, watching as the rain pours heavily from the sky. He sighs again, shivering before closing his eyes and hoping to fall asleep. 

His dreams are strange and scary. They’re visions, Soobin knows that much, but they’re impossible to understand. He sees Yeonjun crying, fat tears rolling down his cheeks as he sobs loudly, then he sees Taehyun screaming and fighting his father as an Omega is dragged down the hall, chained and beaten to unconsciousness. Taehyun suddenly pulls out a knife and holds it to his father’s throat, his speech garbled. The vision shifts and Soobin finds himself in front of his parents, forced onto his knees as he’s banished from the kingdom. The final vision is of Soobin being dragged away by a guard, his wrists shackled as he fights desperately while a bag is shoved over his head. 

And then, much to his displeasure, he wakes up. His heart is pounding and Soobin looks around with wide eyes, panting. Jjunie wakes up as well, humming worriedly as she nudges Soobin. 

“S’okay, girl,” Soobin murmurs, though a part of it is to assure himself as he strokes the dragon’s snout. He sighs and shakes his head, rubbing his eyes before standing up. 

“Is there food in the saddle bags?” he says. Jjunie hums and flicks her ears, shuffling around so one of the bags is close to Soobin. The prince reaches in and pulls out a few bags of dried meat, then takes a sip of water from the canteen. 

“Did you have anything to drink?” he says. Jjunie seems to nod and Soobin hands her some of the jerky, keeping some for himself. Even though he doesn’t have teeth as sharp as Jjunie’s, his fangs are still pretty useful for eating the meat. 

“Ready to go?” Soobin says when they’ve both eaten a decent amount. Jjunie shifts about so he can board, then takes off once Soobin gives a little tug on the reins. 

When they arrive at the palace, Soobin looks down on it with a strange feeling in his chest. Maybe there’s some elation because he’ll finally be reuniting with Yeonjun, but there’s something akin to disgust as well, especially when he gets to the neighborhoods of the elite. The palace is giant - it’s huge and grand and sprawling as Soobin remembers. He feels like spitting down at it as Jjunie lands. 

He’s led into the palace and Soobin pinches his wrist to keep from getting nervous. He’s tempted to touch the amulet on the necklace that hangs around his neck or to reach up and play with his silver earrings. 

“Your Imperial Majesty, Prince Soobin,” says the young man who led Soobin in. The prince bows deeply, his eyes darting up to look at the emperor and his four sons. 

Though Namjoon’s described him as such, Soobin is still shocked by how beautiful Seokjin is. The man’s black hair is a bit long, reaching the nape of his neck. He sits straight and his gown is made of the finest fabrics Soobin’s ever seen. His lips are plump and the same color as rose petals, his eyes a soft, chocolaty brown. His skin is unblemished and smooth, his eyelashes long. Soobin swallows hard. It’s quite intimidating. 

Yoongi, Seokjin’s brother, seems to hold something in his eyes as he stares at Soobin. They’re a color akin to his older brother’s, but something in them is . . . different. Soobin isn’t sure what. His lips are thinner and more petal-like. They’re paler than Seokjin’s as well, though the second-oldest prince is known for his pale complexion. His hair is a bit curlier than Seokjin’s, though it’s the same ebony color. 

Soobin recognizes Hoseok the moment he lays eyes on him. He thinks back to the Omega in the wedding dress, laughing and talking with Hueningkai as they get married. He feels his eyes widen as he takes in the familiar slope of his nose, the delicate curls, the soft and sparkling eyes - all of them displayed in the vision. But the smile on his face was genuine and full as if he’d finally found someone who truly made him happy. It’s strange seeing him with that stoic expression, even after the one where he had those huge wings. But that vision has yet to make any sense to Soobin, so he’s chosen not to dwell on it for now. 

Taehyung, just as his older brother, is beautiful in a way that makes Soobin feel the need to shy away from him. His eyes are dark and a bit droopy, his black hair curly and thick. His jawline is sharp and his lips are pink, with eyelashes that are long and dark. The golden jewelry he wears is pretty but it’s nearly impossible to pull his eyes off of the youngest prince. Maybe it has something to do with his resemblance to Yeonjun. 

“Ah, Your Highness,” the emperor says, startling Soobin out of his thoughts, “how was your trip? I heard about your parents - I’m sorry and I hope your mother gets well soon.” 

Soobin swallows hard and nods. “Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty. As for my trip, it was fine.”

“Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Taehyung - all of you, show him around, hm?” Soobin sees Seokjin dig his nails into the skin of his palms as he stands and walks off without bothering to say anything to his father. Yoongi ushers Taehyung and Hoseok away, speaking far too quietly for Soobin to hear. 

“You’ll be staying near all of our other Alpha guests,” Seokjin says. He looks over his shoulder discreetly at his brothers, then at Soobin. He breaks out in a smile, but there’s something lurking in his eyes. “Are you looking forward to seeing anyone?” 

“Yeonjun-Hyung,” Soobin blurts out before he can think about it. He hears a snicker from behind, and he covers his face, looking away.

“Cute,” Seokjin says. “Tell us about him?” 

Soobin scratches the back of his neck as he feels the heat rushing to his face. 

“Well,” he says, “he’s the one with blue hair. He has a, um, a little brother named Taehyun. Yeonjun-Hyung is my best friend and we’ve known each other for years. He - um - gods, he’s just - I don’t even know. He’s simply . . . he’s amazing. Phenomenal, perfect, beautiful, kind, caring, smart, witty, funny, sweet, perfect, the most amazing and wonderful person I know. He’s - he’s my everything,” Soobin says. He doesn’t realize he’s been rambling until he’s by the silence of everyone else. The prince covers his face with his hands in embarrassment. 

“Sorry, I’m rambling,” he mumbles. 

“Aww,” Taehyung says, “you guys are so cute!” Soobin squeaks and dodges out of the way when he reaches up to ruffle his hair. Seokjin laughs and grins at him. 

“Oh, we’re passing one of the courtyards!” he says, pointing to the left. Soobin looks over. “Aren’t the hydrangeas pretty?” 

_ Chrysanthemums, chrysanthemums.  _ “I rather like chrysanthemums,” Soobin says. Seokjin’s eyes sparkle and he gives a little, barely noticeable, nod before they continue. 

“I heard that the other Alphas are planning on going on a couple of hunts in preparation for the party,” Seokjin says. Soobin looks over and sees the way he seems to be disgusted by the thought. The amulet around his neck seems to burn. 

“I’ll take a look into it,” Soobin says, suddenly feeling awkward. Seokjin smiles at him as they reach a door and hands him a small key, brushing his fingers over Soobin’s wrist. There’s a sort of sensation there that isn’t quite burning or painful. It’s more as if Seokjin gently ran his nails over the skin. 

_ Meet me in the gardens when the amulet begins to glow, _ it says before disappearing. Soobin looks up from his wrist and locks eyes with Seokjin before nodding. The prince smiles at him as he walks away, his brothers following. Soobin tries to ignore how Yoongi seems to eye him suspiciously. 

Soobin doesn’t go on the hunt Seokjin told him about. He’s a bit preoccupied because Jeongguk appears in his room, dark and intimidating. 

“Did he tell you?” he says. 

“About the meeting? Or is there something else?” 

Jeongguk doesn’t answer, instead resolving to pick at his armor. It looks terribly heavy. 

“He’s nice, don’t you think?” 

Soobin shrugs. 

“Yeah. He’s - I can see why you-know-who fell in love with him.” Jeongguk snorts. 

“Has he done . . . like, any of his . . . you know, special stuff?” Jeongguk says. Soobin nods, fingers going instinctively to his wrist. He rubs the skin which feels tender and it even stings a bit. 

“My wrist,” he says, holding it up. Jeongguk squints and gets closer, taking it into his gloved hands. The metal is smooth and (surprisingly) cold against Soobin’s skin as Jeongguk runs his fingers over the flesh. 

“It should go away soon,” he says. His brow is furrowed in concentration. “I dunno, he doesn’t like using magic in the palace.” 

“It’s trackable, isn’t it?” Soobin says. 

Jeongguk looks up at him, clearly surprised by the statement. 

“Yeah,” he says. “How did you know that?” 

Soobin shrugs and picks at his pants. There aren’t any loose threads to pull at, so he doesn’t really do anything. 

“I probably read it or something. I don’t know; I don’t remember,” he says. Jeongguk raises an eyebrow but he doesn’t press any further. Soobin likes that about Jeongguk; he always knows when Soobin’s reached his limit, since they’re both similar in the way that neither of them are very fond of talking after a certain topic is reached. 

“You should go on one of the hunts, you know,” Jeongguk says, batting Soobin’s hand away when he reaches out to touch the armor. “It’ll make you seem more like you’re just some normal prince.” 

Soobin snorts and shrugs. “I might. Are you?” 

Jeongguk shakes his head. “I can’t,” he says. “The emperor wouldn’t want me to. Besides, I don’t want anything to happen while I’m away.” Soobin hums in agreement. He hears someone getting close to his room and then Jeongguk gets up, saluting him before he climbs out of the window. Soobin sits quietly on the bed while he waits for the footsteps to stop. 

He doesn’t count on a vision to come. He suddenly sees Yoongi sobbing as he carries an unconscious Jimin through the forest, heavy rains making it nearly impossible to see. A small, glowing orb frantically leads the way, stopping to allow the prince to catch up. Suddenly, Yoongi trips and the orb flies off as Jimin and Yoongi land in the mud. The prince sits up and wipes his eyes as he crawls over to Jimin, a bolt of lightning illuminating the seemingly endless stream of blood gushing from his side. Yoongi screams and then he screams again. Soobin thinks he’s crying but he can’t quite tell with the heavy downpour that surrounds them. Yoongi tugs Jimin into his lap as he cries, shivering beneath the rain as he presses his forehead to Jimin’s. There’s a soaked bandage around Jimin’s middle and Yoongi attempts to use it to stop the blood flow, though Soobin and Yoongi both know that it won’t work. Yoongi’s speaking again but, even if Soobin  _ could _ understand, his words would be blocked out by the rain. He hugs Jimin close to his chest and says something again, then his eyes flutter shut and he passes out. 

Soobin is thankful that no one is in his room when he’s released. He looks around and finds the room to be empty, but he also notices that the sun has already begun to set. Ah, yes. Time moves differently in his visions, though he’s gotten better at aligning them so he isn’t spaced out for hours. Of course, when they’re as spontaneous as the one he just had, it’s a bit difficult. 

Sighing, Soobin gets up and shakes his head. The door opens and a group of servants come in to help him get dressed for dinner. Here goes nothing. 

Soobin is antsy the entire time they eat. He keeps his eyes on his food and he doesn’t talk to people unless they reach out first, and even then he only offers a few words. When dinner ends and everyone is dismissed, Soobin heads to his room to change, then he sits at the desk with a candle, studying the map of the castle. Jeongguk probably got his hands on the blueprint and used some sort of magic from Jimin to copy it, then he sent it down to the older Alpha to create even more copies. 

Just then, the amulet resting on his chest begins to burn. Soobin looks down and notices a gentle glow coming from the circular ruby. He stands up and blows the candle out before he grabs a pair of silk slippers and heads out. 

As he promised, Seokjin is sitting quietly in the gardens. Jeongguk is standing guard. 

“Thanks for coming,” Seokjin says. He’s carrying a bag and he pulls out a package of sorts. “You wanna help me out with these?” 

They begin placing the clues around the palace. Seokjin’s already taken care of the ones in his room and he says he had Yoongi’s nurse, an Omega by the name of Seungjae, plant the ones that belong in the room of the second oldest imperial prince. Soobin doesn’t ask why nor does he attempt to read or decipher any of the hints as he gently cuts a section out of one of the books. Seokjin takes the pages and puts them in a box, then he turns to the large portrait of Adonis. Seokjin and Soobin work together to move it away and there’s already a little block carved out. A small door sits in front of the opening and Seokjin pushes it open. 

“No lock?” Soobin says. Seokjin puts a finger to his lips before he shakes his head. 

“I don’t want to risk leaving any more evidence,” he says. “If any of these clues fall into the wrong hands, the entire rebellion will fall. It’s best to be quick.” 

“The puzzle you’ve created seems to be anything but,” Soobin says. Seokjin chuckles quietly as he places the box inside of the little cave. They both move the painting back into place, dusting their hands off. 

“Nice,” Jimin says. Soobin looks over and grins at the Alpha. His mask is sitting on top of his hair and he’s grinning. Soobin’s smile falters when he notices his eyes are gold. 

Seokjin stares at the man. 

“Falenas,” he finally says. Jimin tilts his head. 

“Is that my name?” the god asks as they flex their fingers. They laugh quietly. “I’d forgotten.” 

“You’ll forget it again if you know what’s good for you,” Seokjin says. He sighs. “Jimin, take back control from this parasite.”

Jimin gasps and stumbles. 

“Sorry,” he says, scratching the back of his neck. Seokjin shrugs. Soobin offers a weak (and hopefully comforting) smile. 

“We should make sure everything’s in place,” Seokjin says. He looks pointedly at Jimin. “Did you see Jeongguk?” 

Jimin nods. “He’s still on guard outside. The other guards know better than to ask questions.” 

Seokjin looks relieved as he nods. He turns and smiles gently at Soobin. 

“Well, Your Highness,” he says, “it’s been a pleasure working with you. Now, if you’re as sensible as you seem, I’d go and get some sleep before the sun rises.”

Soobin takes Seokjin’s advice. Except he doesn’t fall asleep because he spends whatever time he’s allowed in bed tossing and turning. The rebellion suddenly feels so much more  _ real _ when he thinks about it. Seokjin - the oldest of the imperial princes, Namjoon’s secret lover, and (according to Namjoon) the most powerful person alive - is going to run from the emperor in a month or so. Soobin’s visions have shown images of a furious Seokjin with glowing eyes creating all sorts of things from the earth beneath his feet. He’s seen him create soldiers, dragons, monsters - anything alive and willing to fight. 

A part of Soobin wonders why he hasn’t yet escaped from the clutches of his father. What’s the point of having all of that power if you never do anything with it?

_ You don’t know the whole story, _ Soobin’s mind chimes in.  _ There’s something that runs deeper and it’s keeping Seokjin anchored here. You just don’t know what it is.  _

Soobin hums, closing his eyes and rolling onto his back. He sighs heavily and prays for sleep to cure him of his terrible exhaustion. 

Surprisingly, Soobin’s wish is granted. Even better, there aren’t any visions that plague him. Then again, he only gets a few hours. But sleep is sleep. 

The day of the ball, Soobin agrees to go out on a hunt. He dresses in armor supplied by the emperor before heading out and mounting one of the horses. All around him, Alpha princes and princesses are laughing and talking. Soobin feels uncomfortable and wishes he could climb beneath a rock. 

“Ah, Soobin, good to see you’ve joined us!” someone says. Soobin nods, searching for a familiar face. He spots Daehwi, someone who came from a different territory. He’s not Ifanian but his cousin is and he came with his douchebag of a relative blah, blah, blah . . . Soobin doesn’t remember and Daehwi doesn’t care. 

“Hey,” Soobin says as he rides over. Daehwi smiles at him. 

“Stars above, I thought you’d never come,” he says. Soobin snorts as they begin heading out. The two move to the back, simply to avoid the thick scent of young Alpha pheromones gathering together in a terrible mess. 

“You just don’t want to go near them,” Daehwi grumbles. “All they talk about is the Omegas they wanna knot and dumb shit like that.” 

Soobin rolls his eyes, looking around. “Do you ever actually go on hunts? Or is it an excuse to gossip?” 

Daehwi shrugs at him. “I mean, not really. Dae-Hyun - he’s the oldest, claims to be some sort of ‘purebreed’ meaning both of his parents are Alphas, though I don’t have a single idea how that works - he’s the one in charge of this whole thing. He’s a douche.” 

“Ay, Choi! Come over here, talk!” Dae-Hyun says. Or, well, Soobin assumes he’s Dae-Hyun because he’s riding in front of the rest of the crowd. 

Soobin slowly moves forward, eying the Alphas around him warily. Daehwi has a grim expression on his face as Dae-Hyun hits Soobin’s back, maybe trying to be friendly or passive-aggressive. Soobin can’t tell. 

“Yeah?” Soobin says. 

“We were talking about that pretty blue-haired Omega, the young prince? He’s twenty, isn’t he?” Soobin tightens his grip on the reins. Dae-Hyun turns to look at Soobin and wiggles his eyebrows. Soobin doesn’t like him at all. “You’re close, aren’t you?”

Soobin shrugs. “I suppose so,” he says. 

“Gods, he’s gorgeous, don’t you think?” someone says. Soobin stiffens, grinding his teeth together. “Wonder how he sounds when he’s high on a knot, yeah?” 

Dae-Hyun laughs, keeping a hand on Soobin’s back while he makes a pointed movement of gnashing his fangs together so Soobin can see how sharp they are. 

“I’m asking his parents for him tonight,” he says. “Gods, I’ve heard he’s a pretty rebellious bitch, you know? Not, like - he’s not slutty like Seokjin, but he’s a pretty nasty Omega.” 

“I feel bad for Mina,” one of the female Alphas whispers. She laughs as everyone else joins in. “She’s getting such a whore - might as well knot a pile of clothes, right?” 

More laughter and Soobin feels sick to his stomach. He bites his lip and thinks back to Jimin’s words. He can’t cause trouble, he can’t cause trouble, he  _ can’t _ . 

“I bet Yeonjun’ll be a dream, yeah?” Dae-Hyun laughs loudly. “The ones that fight are always the best, aren’t they, Soobin?” he says as he loops an arm around Soobin’s neck and tugs him over. Soobin is unable to speak as he attempts to battle back the rapidly building rage he feels. 

“You’re one lucky bastard,” someone says. Dae-Hyun laughs loudly. Soobin breathes heavily, focusing on the space in front of him. He can’t, he can’t, he-

“He looks like he’s a whiner,” a new voice says. They’re all talking about Yeonjun now. “Oh, it hurts!”

“Stop!” someone says in a whiny falsetto that sounds nothing like Yeonjun. 

“Please! Don’t do that, I’ve never done this before!” 

Soobin digs his nails into the skin of his palms and is met with the leather of his gloves. 

“Woah, calm down there,” someone says to Soobin. The Alpha fights the growl as he seethes in silence. How  _ dare _ they talk about Yeonjun as if he’s just some hole to be knotted. They’re acting as if he doesn’t have anything else to offer the world but his ability to reproduce and spread his legs. Soobin’s eyes flit to Dae-Hyun and how he’s laughing, continuing to imitate Yeonjun. 

“Can you believe he actually thinks he’s got anything to say?” Dae-Hyun says, laughing. “That stupid fucking bitch might as well make noises!”

“Shut up,” Soobin growls. Everyone looks over at him and Soobin grips the reins of his horse. “Shut up.” 

“What’s it to you?” Dae-Hyung says. He laughs as he rides over, a cruel smirk on his face. “You got a thing for him or something?” 

Soobin doesn’t answer because he doesn’t trust his voice not to shake. Dae-Hyun cackles loudly, meanly, nearing Soobin. 

“Aw, come on, Soobs,” he says, “you can’t care that much about him, can you?” 

“Don’t talk about him like that,” Soobin says. “Don’t you  _ dare _ talk about him like he’s some sort of object.” 

Another mean laugh and Dae-Hyun leans so close his mouth is next to Soobin’s ear. 

“Oh, don’t worry, Soobin,” he says, “I’ll tell you all about it. Hell, I’ll invite you to come and watch me knot him. Who would’ve-”

Soobin doesn’t realize he’s punching Dae-Hyun until the other boy is thrown off of his horse. Soobin stares down at him, chest heaving as he tries to restrain his anger. 

Dae-Hyun touches the space beneath his nose. There’s red on his skin. He looks up at Soobin, mouth agape. 

“You punched me,” he says. He touches the blood again as if to check if it’s real. “You actually punched me.”

Soobin is unable to form words. He stares down at Dae-Hyun while Dae-Hyun stares up at him, realization slowly painting his features. 

And then, before Soobin can react, he’s leaping to his feet and punching Soobin right back. The Alpha growls and tightens his grip on the horse, kicking Dae-Hyun back to the ground. He laughs. 

“Wow, never would’ve expected you to be a possessive fuck,” he says. Soobin narrows his eyes and rests his hand on the hilt of his sword. Dae-Hyun circles him, watching Soobin intently. It’s clear that he hasn’t missed the hand on his sword. Good. 

“Leave me alone,” Soobin finally says. “I don’t want to fight anyone.” 

“You punched me!” 

Soobin bares his fangs. “You deserved it.” 

Dae-Hyun growls and leaps at him again. This time, however, he succeeds as he tugs Soobin off of his horse and onto the ground. Soobin yelps in surprise before scrambling away to stand. He draws his sword and holds it out in front of himself, glaring at Dae-Hyun. The other prince does the same and they face off, moving slowly around one another. 

Dae-Hyun makes the first move and Soobin moves to block it. Their swords clang and Soobin uses the flat of his blade to hit his opponent in the spine. 

“Leave me alone or at least put the sword down,” Soobin says. “If you wanna fight, at least lessen-”

He’s punched in the face. Soobin growls and drops the sword, springing at Dae-Hyun. He pins the other Alpha down and straddles his chest, pulling his fist back and punching Dae-Hyun as hard as he can. He punches him again and again until he’s being pulled away by Daehwi. Soobin continues growling as Dae-Hyun sits up, wiping his bloody nose. 

“Daehwi-”

_ Thump! _ Soobin gasps as the air is knocked out of him as a fist collides with his stomach. Daehwi lets go of him and Soobin spits on the ground, thankful to see there isn’t any blood as he shakily gets to his feet. Dae-Hyun glares at him. His nose is bleeding and he’s got a few bruises on that stupid face of his. Soobin clutches his stomach and then throws up his breakfast before looking up and wiping his mouth. 

“What do you want?” he snaps. Dae-Hyun stares at him before Soobin rushes forward and punches him again. It catches the other Alpha off-guard and Soobin takes his chance to escape, scrambling to his horse. He rides off, flicking the reins and hoping to get away. Who  _ cares _ if it’s cowardly, he doesn’t want to fight Dae-Hyun. Soobin knows he’s in trouble and he’ll face more consequences than an aching stomach for attacking Dae-Hyun. He does not, however, know what they are. 

He rides through the fields around the city for a few hours before heading back to the palace. He finds that the party has already begun as he sneaks into his room and splashes his face with water, using some sort of scented oil to make sure he at least smells okay. Soobin uses water to push his hair back and clean any dirt from his skin and armor. Sighing, Soobin steps back to stare at himself. 

_ It’ll have to do, _ he thinks before he turns around and heads out. 

At first, the party is fine. Soobin towers over the crowd but he doesn’t feel awkward in his armor. He takes the glass offered to him as he wanders around idly, chewing on his bottom lip. 

“Soobin?” a voice says. Soobin feels his heart stop and he inhales the scent of honey and vanilla as he turns around. Yeonjun’s looking at him curiously and there’s a bit of hesitance there too. Soobin smiles at him, unable to stop the grin as it spreads across his face. 

“Hyung!” he says. Yeonjun coos as Soobin’s smile widens, reaching up and squishing his lips into a pucker.

“Oh, you’re still so cute!” he says happily and Soobin’s heart flutters. He sees Yeonjun look down, his eyes roving over the armor Soobin wears. 

“What are you wearing?” he says. Soobin looks down as well. 

“Armor?” he says, shrugging. “I just got back and didn’t have time to change. We had to clean it up.” 

“But I heard you were here earlier.” Soobin shrugs again. 

“I went a hunt with some of the other Alphas,” he says. “Taehyun declined.” It’s a lie. 

“Your voice got deeper,” Yeonjun says and Soobin is thankful he didn’t prod any further. 

Soobin tilts his head. “Did it?” 

Yeonjun nods at him, getting closer. “It did,” he says breathily. “It’s deeper than mine.” Soobin smiles at him as Yeonjun tugs him closer, using his grip on the younger boy’s cloak. Just then, the music starts and they both look up with wide eyes. 

“Would you like to dance, Highness?” a female voice says. Soobin feels the more possessive side of him snarl as he switches their positions. 

“He’s with me,” he says, locking eyes with her. She recognizes him and backs away, holding her hands up. “Have a good evening.” Soobin rests a hand on Yeonjun’s hip and begins to waltz with the rest of the crowd. 

“Why would you do that?” Yeonjun says, turning to look over his shoulder. 

“Do you not want to dance with me?” Soobin prays Yeonjun can’t hear the fear in his voice. 

The boy shakes his head as he looks up at Soobin. “Don’t you know I can defend myself, Binnie?” he says, using his tiptoes to elevate himself so his lips are placed right next to Soobin’s ear. 

“We’re in public, Yeonjun,” Soobin says, forgoing honorifics. “People will talk.” 

“We’re friends,” Yeonjun says as they move. Soobin tries not to wince. If that’s what Yeonjun wants, then so be it. “We’re best friends. We’ve always been.”

_ We have, haven’t we? _

“But to the public eye, we are but an Alpha and an Omega,” Soobin says softly. 

Yeonjun looks up at him. He’s rather starry-eyed. Soobin tells himself he’s projecting. “Let them talk,” he says, sounding breathless. Irresistible. “I want to talk with my best friend.” 

Soobin’s heart pounds against his ribcage. His grip tightens unconsciously before loosening as he leans down and presses his lips against the column of Yeonjun’s neck, eliciting a pretty gasp from him. They stare at each other and, to Soobin, it seems as if Yeonjun is searching for something in his eyes. 

“You - your dress is beautiful, Hyung,” he says, trying to put his feelings to the side. 

“What were you going to say?” Yeonjun says, though it borders on a demand. They spin. 

“What do you mean?” 

Yeonjun swallows hard. “Before you told me my dress was beautiful, what were you going to say?”

The distance between them seems to grow. 

“I-”

And then, just as Soobin finally feels his confession teeming at his lips, Yeonjun is swept away. They crane their necks to see each other and Soobin doesn’t notice if anyone’s talking to him. He doesn’t care, quite frankly. 

The dance continues like this and Soobin despises it. He attempts to keep an eye on Yeonjun but then Jeongguk looks at him, blinking a few times. Soobin looks around and catches sight of Seokjin. Right. 

“Everyone!” Dong-Hyeok suddenly says, rather loudly might Soobin add. He rests a hand on the hilt of his sword when he notices the sound of a scuffle nearby. “I am pleased to announce I have found a groom for my son!” Everyone applauds and Jeongguk locks eyes with Soobin. 

“I refuse!” Seokjin screams suddenly. Everyone turns to look at him. Soobin tries to get him to move with his eyes. “I refuse to marry her!”

“Seokjin, behave,” the emperor growls, tensed and coiled like a spring. 

“I’d rather die a thousand deaths than marry any of these Alphas!” Seokjin shrieks. Yoongi surfaces from the group of people behind his older brother, then, attempting to drag him back into the safety of the crowd. 

“Apologize!” he says, his voice an angry whisper that still rings throughout the ballroom due to the silence filling it. Seokjin tugs his arm away. “Hyung, you’re going to get yourself killed!” 

Soobin steals a glance at Jeongguk and sees him standing just as still as before. 

“How dare you plan my life as if I am nothing but a doll for you to play!” Seokjin says. “I am a human being as you, Father! I am your son!” 

Soobin almost begins to think it works. But then, the emperor commands, “Guards, take him away,” and then soldiers are appearing, practically spontaneously, grabbing Seokjin by the arms even as he fights back.

Surprisingly, Yoongi is the first to react. 

“No, please!” he says, much faster than anyone would have expected of him. “Let him go! He doesn’t mean it!” 

“Hyung!” Taehyung screams as his oldest brother is dragged away. He and Hoseok are also trying to push through the crowd to get to Seokjin. Suddenly, Yoongi grabs his skirts and then he’s leaping through the air, tackling one of the guards holding Seokjin. The Alpha is caught off-guard and Yoongi manages to free Seokjin. He’s panting and red-faced while Seokjin has a few tears dripping down his cheeks. 

Just then, Soobin notices a familiar fox mask in the corner of his eye. He moves slowly so he stands behind Yeonjun, tugging him back just as a silver dagger flies through the air and impales itself in the woman in front of the older prince. She falls to the ground and the rest of the guests all look up to the origin of it. Jimin sits there, tilting his head coyly before he gracefully leaps to the ground. People scramble to get away from the man as he walks toward the guards holding Seokjin. Faster than anyone can even blink, a new dagger in his hand flashes and the guard falls. It’s at that moment that Soobin grabs Yeonjun’s hand and they begin to run with the rest of the crowd. Another body falls, directly in front of him, and Soobin looks up to see Jeongguk, decked out in his White Rabbit attire, sitting above them. Soobin, despite knowing he wouldn’t hurt either of them, ushers Yeonjun away while keeping an eye on his friends to make sure they keep everything under control. 

The low hiss of a viper makes Soobin’s blood run cold. A cloud of smoke fills the area and a small, petite figure appears. Soobin swallows hard and his hand immediately grips the hilt of his sword. It doesn’t help that Yeonjun very suddenly stops in his tracks and turns to Soobin with wide eyes. 

“What is it?” Soobin says. 

Yeonjun cranes his neck and looks at the crowd.

“Taehyun. Where’s Hyunnie?!” he says. Soobin feels his heart stop and then he lets go of Yeonjun’s hand before pushing against the crowd to find the younger Alpha, praying his scent hasn’t changed much. 

Thankfully, Taehyun isn’t hard to find because he seeks Soobin out. Soobin begins leading them through the group of people when his eyes catch on Jeongguk’s back as the Viper chucks a knife at it. 

Before he can think of the should-be very obvious consequences of his actions, Soobin is spinning in front of Jeongguk, using the flat of his blade as a shield. Taehyun is pressed to his chest, his eyes wide as he looks between Soobin and the assassins. Before he can ask any questions, though, Soobin tugs him away to join the crowd. 

“What was that?!” Yeonjun says as they run. Soobin doesn’t answer because he can’t. He doesn’t want to risk Yeonjun’s life. Or Taehyun’s. 

“Taehyun, hide in your room, okay?” Soobin says. Taehyun nods and then he melts into the crowd as Soobin leads Yeonjun down an empty corridor. 

“Why?” Yeonjun says. Soobin doesn’t answer. It’s not like he can. Not when he knows Yeonjun is going to get married so soon.  _ I wanted to have you all to myself for once because I’m in love with you and I wish I knew why _ . 

It becomes apparent that Yeonjun’s skirt, no matter how beautiful, is a hazard to them both. Without thinking much about it, Soobin scoops him up in his arms and carries him to his room. Yeonjun squeaks, surprised, though Soobin tries not to pay it any mind. 

They reach Yeonjun’s bedroom and Soobin places him on the bed, panting loudly. 

Soobin stares at Yeonjun, drowning in his eyes. Yeonjun stares right back, blinking slowly before he leans forward and presses his lips against Soobin’s own. Soobin gasps and then Yeonjun pulls away, his eyes wide and embarrassed. Soobin doesn’t even  _ think _ as he tugs Yeonjun back, smashing their lips together in a kiss that’s far from sweet or gentle or coordinated. He’s greedy and this he knows as he drags Yeonjun into his lap with grabbing hands. Yeonjun gasps and Soobin swallows it up, taking the opportunity to lick into Yeonjun’s mouth with a heady groan. The golden beads slung around Yeonjun’s shoulders are only getting in the way and Soobin fumbles about before undoing them, ignoring the loud clatter. Soobin pulls away, breathing heavily, and stares at Yeonjun. 

It’s just as he imagined, but somehow a million times better in person. Yeonjun’s lips are bitten red and his face is flushed, the moonlight giving him an angelic quality of sorts. His eyes are blown wide with lust and Soobin feels their hearts beat in sync as he reaches up and undoes the little circlet and veil. He places the circlet on the bedside table while the veil falls and Soobin begins running his fingers through Yeonjun’s hair. 

“Soft,” he murmurs, unable to formulate anything more complicated than one-word sentences. Yeonjun sighs softly, leaning into Soobin’s hand before kissing him again. Soobin moves his hands so they rest on Yeonjun’s hips as he lies back, gently tugging the Omega with him. 

And then, of course, the door opens. Soobin feels himself and Yeonjun freeze and turn around. 

“Your Highness!” Yeonjun’s (presumed) nurse cries, scandalized. Yeonjun trips over his dress as he attempts to get off of Soobin while Soobin ends up rolling off of the bed. He stands abruptly and, because there’s nothing else to do, he straightens his armor. 

“Apologies, Nurse,” he says, unable to look at Yeonjun and the woman. He bows awkwardly. “I’ll - I’ll be off.” Soobin fast-walks out of the room and down the corridor, looking around and sighing when he finds it empty. The ruby amulet around his neck begins to glow, tugging him in a certain direction. 

Jimin’s holding his hand out, spinning his finger in the air while a small bit of magic swirls around it. He’s wearing his mask, but Soobin doesn’t care. He knows it’s a precaution. 

“They got him, didn’t they?” Soobin says. Jimin nods. 

“Seokjin’s in the dungeons if that’s what you mean,” he says. He sighs heavily. “Gods, am I glad we don’t have to talk to Namjoon anytime soon.” 

“He probably won’t be mad,” Soobin says. “He’d understand.” Jimin hums. 

“I know,” he says. “I just don’t want to have to deal with him moping around.” Soobin snorts. 

“That’s reasonable,” he says. Jimin hums. 

“What you did earlier today wasn’t,” he says. Soobin shrugs but he doesn’t meet Jimin’s eyes. 

“I know,” he says quietly. He looks up at Jimin. “But I - you should’ve-”

“I know,” Jimin says. “Soobin, it’s just - I don’t want you getting into trouble.”

Soobin hums and looks up at the sky. “You need to leave, Hyung.” 

“You have to be more careful!” He looks around then. “You had your hand on your sword as soon as we were joined by Viper.” 

_ Actually, I had it there even before that, _ Soobin thinks. 

“I was worried for Yeonjun,” he says. Jimin snorts. 

“Must I remind you of his marriage?” he says. It’s like a punch to the gut. 

“He doesn’t want that,” Soobin says. 

“Perhaps,” Jimin says, shrugging. “But has he a choice in the matter?” 

Soobin furrows his brow and looks away from Jimin. 

“Don’t plant seeds in rocks,” he says after a few moments of silence. He leaps up and scrambles over the roof, disappearing into the night. Soobin sighs and runs a hand through his hair. Gods, this is so stressful. 

Jeongguk sneaks into his room and tells him he’ll be leaving at dawn. Soobin is groggy but awake enough to understand it as he nods and tries to go back to sleep. He gets up sometime before the sun rises and gets dressed, rubbing his eyes before making his way down the halls. He finds Jjunie sitting in the courtyard, stretching. Waving a tired goodbye, Soobin and Jjunie take off. 

It isn’t long before Soobin turns back around because he can hear someone calling his name. He sees a tiny dot on the ground and Jjunie circles around to land. 

“Soobin!” 

“Hyung?” Yeonjun covers his eyes as Jjunie lands but even that doesn’t stop him as he flings himself into Soobin’s arms, burying his face in his chest.

“Soobin.” His voice is soft, delicate, fragile, even. Soobin wraps his arms around him and presses Yeonjun closer to his chest as a sob racks his suddenly very tiny frame, tears soaking into his shirt. 

“Hyung, don’t cry,” Soobin says softly, tilting Yeonjun’s chin up. “It’ll be okay.”

“Soobin, they’re not letting me see you anymore,” Yeonjun says. 

Soobin can’t stop how he tenses. He tightens his grip around Yeonjun, then, afraid for no reason at all that the gods will suddenly come down and steal him away. 

“Then - why?” 

Yeonjun swallows. His eyes are puffy and red from crying. “I’m sorry, Soobin, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have kissed you last night. If I hadn’t, we’d be allowed to see each other and we could keep contact. I-”

He supposes it’s not his greatest move, but Soobin kisses Yeonjun. He doesn’t have a reason other than he missed the feeling of Yeonjun’s lips on his own. 

But then Yeonjun pushes him away and Soobin feels a cold sense of fear wash over him. 

“Soobin, we  _ can’t _ ,” Yeonjun says, somewhat easing the fear Soobin feels. It insinuates that while Yeonjun enjoys kissing Soobin, the rules imposed on them are too powerful or he doesn’t want to make their situation worse.

Soobin nods and sighs. Yeonjun’s hugging himself, staring at the ground. 

“Okay, Hyung,” he says. “Okay.” Soobin walks over and mounts Jjunie, Yeonjun following. He wraps his arms around Soobin’s waist and rests his head on his shoulder. Soobin tries to unclench his jaw and calm down because he just wants Yeonjun to be happy and he’s probably not helping that by being so tense. 

“Hyung, you should get a cloak,” Soobin says softly. He can hear Yeonjun looking for one and then he pulls one out. Soobin waits until the little bag is closed before snapping the reins and having Jjunie take off. 

It’s only until Jjunie’s begun to glide that Yeonjun breaks the heavy silence. 

“I’ve never flown before,” he says. It’s a bland conversation starter, especially for someone as eccentric as Yeonjun, but Soobin appreciates the effort. 

“I know,” he says softly. 

Yeonjun sighs and lays his head on Soobin’s back. They continue to fly through the air for a few more moments before Soobin has Jjunie diving. 

“SOOBIN!” Yeonjun screeches. Soobin laughs while Yeonjun suffers, pressing himself even closer to him as he screams at the top of his lungs. Jjunie spins through the air, bringing her wings closer to make it easier. 

“How do you like flying, Hyung?” Soobin yells, raising his voice so the sound of the howling wind doesn’t drown it out. 

“I hope you die a thousand deaths!” 

Soobin can’t help laughing again. “I’ll take that as a “I’d rather not”!”

Unfortunately, Jjunie can’t dive forever, and she returns to a slow glide through the air. Yeonjun is still holding onto him as if they have yet to stop hurtling toward the ground. 

“Are you going to hold onto that forever?” Soobin says. 

“Yes. A million times yes. Hell yes. Uh-huh. Any way I can say yes,” Yeonjun says as Soobin laughs. A large lake comes into view and the dragon’s claws drag over it. The sunset is gorgeous, a collage of oranges, pinks, purples, and blues replacing the sky. 

“Who taught you?” Yeonjun says. Soobin assumes he’s talking about riding a dragon. 

“A friend,” he says. “I learnt while on my trip.” 

“Oh.” Jjunie lands and Soobin is the first to dismount, then he helps Yeonjun off. Soobin goes over the basics of setting up camp and, by the time he finishes, the sun has set. He and Yeonjun sit around the campfire, a painful distance between them. 

“Um, congratulations,” Soobin says because there’s nothing else to offer. 

“For what?” 

Soobin swallows hard and stares into the flames. “I heard you were getting married. Congratulations.” 

There’s a scoff of sorts. “Yeah, well, it’s not by choice.” 

_ I know. _

“What would you do if you had a choice?” Soobin says. He looks at Yeonjun who frowns, drumming his nails on the cup in his hands while his brow furrows. 

“I’ve never thought of such a reality,” he says, shrugging. “I’d make sure Taehyun could love Beomgyu without judgment.”

“That’s a good thing to do,” Soobin says. “I admire your selflessness.” 

Yeonjun laughs before he says, “I’m not selfless, I just don’t know what I’d do.” 

Soobin hums. He doesn’t look at Yeonjun as he says, “Well, I’m rather selfish.”

“Are you?” Yeonjun asks, sounding surprised. Soobin shrugs. “What would  _ you _ do if you could choose?”

Soobin doesn’t even think as he blurts out, “I’d marry you.” 

He can hear Yeonjun’s breath hitch even with the distance between where they’re sitting. The older boy turns to look at him, his eyes wide.

“What?” he says breathlessly. 

Soobin wrings his hands, worrying his lower lip. “It’s selfish, I know,” he says. “But I wouldn’t if you wouldn’t want it. But, if it was in this particular circumstance, I’d marry you.” The words hang heavily between them as Soobin averts his eyes from Yeonjun’s. 

“Why?” Yeonjun says. 

Boldly, Soobin says, “Why not?” 

He can see Yeonjun’s palms begin to bleed.

“Don’t say those things, Soobin,” he whispers. “We’re already never seeing each other again. Don’t tempt me with hope.”

“I’ll still care for you after you marry, Hyung,” Soobin says softly. 

“Will you?” 

Soobin can’t stop how he laughs sadly. “Of course,” he says. “Aren’t we best friends?” 

Yeonjun smiles weakly at him while he nods. “We are.” 

Soobin tries to smile at him. Yeonjun looks back at the fire, shivering. He pulls the cloak closer and Soobin remains silent. 

“Will you go straight home after returning me home?” 

_ I wish I could stay with you forever, but yes. _

“Despite my wishes, yes,” Soobin says. 

“You’ll be at my wedding, yes?” Yeonjun asks. “I - I would like to see you once more before-”

“What do you take me for, Hyung? Of course, I’m going,” Soobin says as Yeonjun nods. Soobin looks at the stars. He really, really doesn’t want to go and see the boy he’s in love with getting married to someone else, but what other options are there?

“Aren’t they beautiful?” Soobin says after Yeonjun comes to sit next to him and drapes the cloak over their shoulders. Yeonjun nods as he leans his head on Soobin’s shoulder. Soobin laces their fingers together and squeezes Yeonjun’s hand as they sit quietly beside each other, the stars being the only ones to bear witness to their interactions. 

“Don’t fall asleep out here, Hyung,” Soobin whispers when he feels Yeonjun dozing off. Instead of getting up, Yeonjun hums and cuddles closer. “Hyung, there are bandits.” 

“Bandits, rebels, thieves - I’m cute and no one bothers someone cute. Let me sleep, Bin,” Yeonjun murmurs. Soobin snorts. 

_ You don’t have to worry about rebels, _ he thinks. “The bandits will kill you without a second thought when they see that cloak.” 

Yeonjun hums and says, “The rebels want me too. ‘Sides, you’ve got that big sword. All of them should leave us alone once they see you, me, and a dragon.”

“Hyung, we should go to sleep where the dragon can protect us,” Soobin says. He tries not to squeak when Yeonjun huffs and buries his face in the crook of his neck, groaning loudly. 

“Nooooo.” Soobin smiles and shakes his head before picking up the older prince, leading to Yeonjun leaning his head against Soobin’s chest. Jjunie shifts about and makes a bigger space beneath her wings for them. Soobin gently places Yeonjun on one of the makeshift beds they’ve made before putting the fire out. He then curls up beside Yeonjun. 

“Why is it so cold in the summer?” Yeonjun whines quietly. Soobin shrugs, though he knows Yeonjun can’t see him in the dark. Yeonjun rolls over so they’re facing each other, moving the cloak around so they’re both covered. 

“This part of the forest doesn’t abide by our seasons,” Soobin says after thinking about it for a bit. Namjoon told him about it when they started setting up things in the Deep Forest. “That’s what I’ve been told.” 

“Was it the same person who taught you how to ride a dragon?” Yeonjun asks and Soobin laughs softly. 

“Yes.”

“May I meet them?” 

Soobin tries to think of an answer. “He’s . . . difficult to get a hold of, per se,” he says. It’s not a lie. “He-”

“Is he the Nine-Tailed Fox?” Yeonjun says, surprising Soobin even more as he closes his mouth. “I saw you talking with him the night of the attack.” 

“Hyung, I swear-”

“Who were you trying to kill, Soobin?” Yeonjun says softly. 

“It - we -  _ he _ was supposed to watch Seokjin. The Imperial Prince is - he’s important,” Soobin says because he really is dead if Namjoon finds out Soobin spilled about him dating Seokjin. 

“So important that he can’t be put in a dungeon?”

“Yes,” Soobin says because there’s nothing else to say. To make it more extreme and in hopes of keeping Yeonjun from asking any more questions, he says, . “Should anything happen to him, the White Rabbit, Gumiho, and I are to receive either death or something equally horrible.”

“From whom?” 

_ Dammit _ . 

“I can’t tell you that, Hyung.”

“Soobin, tell me. As your elder, I command you.”

“I can’t,” Soobin says as he takes Yeonjun’s hands into his own and kisses his knuckles. “If I tell you, you’ll never be allowed a normal life again. All of it, gone with a few words,” Soobin says. He doesn’t want Yeonjun to risk this. There’s still a dangerously large chance of the rebellion failing. 

“Soobin-ah, I’m sure you know that I’m not some helpless prince, yes? You can tell me, I’m not made of porcelain,” Yeonjun says quietly. 

“But I don’t want you hurt,” Soobin says. “If someone discovers what I’m doing, I’ll be executed and no amount of status could ever save me.” He’s seen visions where it happens, where he, Jeongguk, Jimin, and Namjoon are all killed for their plans. He can’t risk that happening to Yeonjun too. 

“Then let me share the burden,” Yeonjun says softly. 

[ _ My My My! _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzxJS52YkIQ)

“Hyung, let me protect you, please,” Soobin begs. “You’ve always protected me, I wish to return the favor. Is it too much to ask?”

“I’d never be able to live with myself if you were to die, though,” Yeonjun says, squeezing Soobin’s hands. “Won’t you spare me of such guilt?”

“Are you saying I’ll die?” 

Yeonjun frowns in the darkness and tugs Soobin closer. 

“If it’s a possibility, then I will worry about it.”

“No one will find out, Hyung,” Soobin says. “But I can’t risk putting you in the line of fire if it happens.”

“If you’re to die,” Yeonjun says softly, “then I will do so with you.”

_ How painfully romantic, _ Soobin thinks as his lips brush Yeonjun’s forehead. 

“Don’t give me hope that you are to love me as much as I, you,” he whispers. 

“When did I say such a thing was false?” Yeonjun says quietly. Soobin’s breath hitches.

He swallows hard. “Hyung,” he says, “you’re to be married soon.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”

Soobin locks eyes with him despite the darkness and holds his stare. 

“Do you?” he says as he leans forward, getting so close that it seems as if the distance between them could fit only a single strand of hair. “Tell me, Hyung - if you had the choice, would you marry me?” 

“I would,” Yeonjun says without a moment of hesitation. “I would marry you a thousand times. One for each day lost.” 

Soobin laughs quietly. “A ceremony per day? Is that what you mean?” he asks. Another small bit of laughter. “We would tire far too quickly to go on with such an arrangement.” 

“Will you kiss me, then, for each day you’ve spent away from me?” 

Soobin doesn’t even have to think as he leans forward and presses their lips together. He can taste their dinner (a broth made from the bones of some sort of cow) on Yeonjun’s lips, though his natural sweetness remains. Yeonjun’s hair is soft as it runs between his fingers, his kisses gentle. It’s strangely chaste. Soobin isn’t as bent on devouring Yeonjun right now, but the fire still simmers at the bottom of his belly. Delicate hands cup his face and Yeonjun runs a thumb over Soobin’s cheekbone, tilting his head as Soobin suckles on his lower lip. Their tongues dance and Soobin pulls Yeonjun closer because whatever they’re doing now isn’t nearly enough to satiate him. He doesn’t know if it ever could be. 

Together they fall asleep with swollen and reddened lips, their hair tangled. When the sun breaks through and filters into their little shelter, Soobin is the first to wake up as he stretches, then heads out to reheat their dinner from last night and breakfast to be. When he gets back, he turns to Yeonjun. 

“Get up, Hyung,” he whispers, shaking Yeonjun. The other boy rolls away from him, grunting a protest. 

“Just a bit longer . . .” he says, his voice low and mumbly. He pulls his legs close to his chest and snuggles into them. “Let Hyung sleep, Soobin-ah.” 

Soobin looks at Jjunie to move her wing before he says, “We have to go, Yeonjun.” Yeonjun grunts, sitting up when Jjunie’s wing is moved so he’s no longer hidden from the early morning sun. Soobin helps Yeonjun to his feet and leads him to sit on top of Jjunie, handing him a bowl of broth. 

“You made breakfast?” Yeonjun mumbles, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. Soobin can’t get over how cute he looks as he hums, going to destroy what their campsite was. He gets onto the dragon after making sure Yeonjun’s finished his breakfast and there’s nothing left of their presence, then they take off. 

A few minutes into their trip, Yeonjun hooks his chin over Soobin’s shoulder and says, “Go the long way.”

Soobin looks over his shoulder at him. “They’ll know.”

“I don’t care,” Yeonjun says. He snuggles closer to Soobin. “I want to stay with you.” 

“It would make things so much worse, Hyung,” Soobin says softly. 

“We already can’t speak with one another again, how could it get worse?” Yeonjun says. Soobin stares at him and then, against his better judgment, he cups Yeonjun’s face and kisses him softly. When he pulls away, he reaches for Yeonjun’s hips to tug him closer, smashing their lips together. Yeonjun’s fingers run through Soobin’s hair, kissing him hungrily. Of course, it’s a bit of a safety hazard, and Soobin is forced to pull away to get Jjunie to land. 

Off of the dragon they go, kissing and grabbing at one another. Soobin gets his hands under Yeonjun’s thighs and then he backs him against the closest tree, eager to have more. He undoes Yeonjun’s cloak and lets it fall from his shoulders while Yeonjun tugs on Soobin’s shirt, silently asking for it to be removed from the equation. Soobin’s a bit preoccupied with pulling the strap of Yeonjun’s dress off, kissing down the column of his neck. Yeonjun’s panting loudly as he begins to undo the front tassels of Soobin’s shirt. 

“You’re so gorgeous,” Soobin says breathlessly as he moves to Yeonjun’s ear, pressing a kiss behind it. Yeonjun releases a loud groan and his head falls back, revealing more skin for Soobin to explore. Yeonjun manages to pull Soobin closer with the grip his legs have around his waist as he pulls Soobin’s shirt off, tossing it aside and licking his lips. There’s a hungry glint in his eyes and Soobin feels his heart pound. Yeonjun stares up at Soobin through his eyelashes as he presses his lips against the scar running over his collarbone, drawing a groan from the Alpha. He can feel Yeonjun smirk against his skin as he goes up and to Soobin’s ear. 

“Run away with me,” he whispers into Soobin’s ear before biting down on the skin. Soobin’s breath hitches. “Run away with me, Binnie.” 

“I hope you weren’t planning on running from your duties, Highnesses,” Jimin says. It’s like Soobin’s worst nightmare re-enacted. He turns around to see Jeongguk standing to the side while Jimin sits in a tree, his legs dangling. Yeonjun grabs the cloak and Soobin, embarrassed by their states of undress, stands in front of him. 

“Stopping for me?” Jimin says teasingly. “No, please - continue.” He giggles and jumps down from his spot in the tree. Soobin grabs his shirt and pulls it on. Yeonjun attempts to follow him but Jeongguk stops him. 

“What is it?” Soobin says. 

“We’ll be escorting His Highness Yeonjun,” Jimin says and Soobin stares at him with wide, pleading eyes. Jimin shakes his head a little bit. 

“What? No!” Yeonjun says from behind him. 

“What are you going to do, Hyung?” Soobin says.  _ What’s the plan? _

“Don’t worry. We’re under strict orders to keep him alive. You have duties back on the coast that can’t wait.”  _ Namjoon’s here. _

[ _ The Truth Untold - Orchestral Ver. _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ptb8j78JLw)

“No. No, you can’t do that,” Yeonjun says, his voice beginning to break. Soobin looks over and sees him attempting to get past Jeongguk. “No, we’ll never be able to see each other again.” 

Soobin’s heart shatters. 

_ Never again? _

“Bun, let them say goodbye,” Jimin says. Jeongguk moves out of the way as Soobin and Yeonjun run to each other, embracing. Yeonjun’s nails drag weakly over the fabric of Soobin’s shirt as Soobin wraps his arms around Yeonjun’s waist and holds him as tightly as possible, trying desperately to keep from crying. 

“No, no, no,” Yeonjun whispers brokenly. “I can’t, I can’t lose you. Soobin, I’m going to lose you.”

“I’ll find you, Yeonjun. I’ll find you and we’ll get to be together, understand? I’ll find you, I’ll do everything I can and we’ll get married and have our happy ending. I love you, I love you, I’ll find you,” Soobin says, cupping Yeonjun’s face. 

Yeonjun is just as delirious as Soobin as he says, “I love you too. Binnie, promise me!” 

“I promise, I promise, but only if you do too.”

“I promise. I swear, I’ll - Binnie, don’t forget me. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, I love you, I love you,” Soobin whispers, leaning their foreheads together. Yeonjun pulls away and looks up, wiping his tears away before cupping Soobin’s face in shaking hands and kissing him. When they pull away, they lean their foreheads together again, tears rolling down their cheeks. 

“I’ll find you no matter what, I promise,” Soobin whispers, his eyes closed because he can’t bear to look at Yeonjun as he cries. “Don’t get hurt, don’t let them hurt you. I’ll find you as soon as I can, just promise you’ll be alright.”

Briefly, while he blinks, Soobin sees a picture of Yeonjun’s mangled corpse, his eyes blank and listless as blood pours from his skull. 

“I promise, but you have to promise too,” Yeonjun says, snapping Soobin out of it. 

Soobin smiles sadly. “I don’t make promises I’ll break,” he says. He pulls away and follows Jimin, leaving Jjunie to Yeonjun and Jeongguk. 

“You’ll make it,” Jimin says softly as they walk. Soobin shrugs. 

“Maybe we will, maybe we won’t,” he says. “What - when did Joon-Hyung get here?” 

“While you were out getting it on with Yeonjun,” Jimin says. Soobin turns beet red and looks away. “Kidding! But yeah, he came during the party.” 

“Does he know about Seokjin?” 

“Of course, he does. He’ll go in to get him the night before his wedding.” 

Soobin nods. Jimin takes his mask off and turns to look at him. His expression is frustratingly hard to read as he tilts his head at Soobin. 

“You want to go and get Yeonjun too,” he says. It isn’t a question, but Soobin nods anyway. 

“Yeah,” he says. “I do.” 

Jimin hums, looking ahead. “You should talk to Joon-Hyung. He might know, right?”

“What do you mean by that?” Jimin shrugs, getting onto his dragon, Chimmy. Soobin gets on behind him. 

“Like a plan, you know? I can bet he’s always had some sort of feeling this would happen at some point, so he’s probably got something, right?” Jimin says as they take off. Soobin hums. 

“I hope so,” he says. “I really, really, hope so.” 

Thankfully, Namjoon does have a plan. But Soobin first has to return to his ‘home’. His escape is an easy one and Jimin sits with him, Namjoon, and Hueningkai. Jimin and Hueningkai end up leaving early after the plan is written down. 

“But, Hyungs,” Hueningkai says, looking nervous, “Beomgyu-Hyung is pregnant.” 

“What? Who?” Namjoon says, frowning. 

“Taehyun’s boyfriend,” Soobin says. “Right?” 

Hueningkai nods. “He - a doctor told him a few nights ago. Maybe last night, I dunno. But . . . we can’t leave him. He - um, he’s a prostitute.”

He says the word as if it’s some sort of swear. Jimin, Namjoon, and Soobin all look at each other. 

“Is - do you know where he is? Did he come with you?” 

“He’s in the library,” Hueningkai says. Jimin nods. 

“He came in with Hyuka a little while ago.” He frowns and looks around. “Speaking of which, we should go.” He points at Soobin. “Try and find out what you can about Yeonjun’s wedding, yeah? Make sure your parents don’t find out about that fight you got in.” 

“You got in a fight?” Namjoon cries as Jimin and Hueningkai disappear. Soobin puts a finger to his lips. 

“Yes, but it’s fine. We have yet to see any repercussions for it,” he says. Namjoon raises an eyebrow. 

“All right,” he says. He pulls Soobin into a hug. “Stay safe, okay? Be careful.”

“Okay,” Soobin says. “You too.” 

The days pass in a blur. Soobin receives an invitation to Yeonjun’s wedding festivities and prepares to get going, packing his bags and getting ready to leave. Hueningkai enchants a music box for him to give to Yeonjun and does the same thing for a sword, but it’s pretty half-assed when he hears it’s for Dae-Hyun. Then, Soobin’s off. He plans to keep a low profile, but things don’t always go as planned. 

He sees Yeonjun go into his room, and then Soobin’s gone on autopilot. He leaps toward the balcony door and knocks on it, feeling giddy as Yeonjun opens the door. He pulls his hood off and Yeonjun’s eyes grow wide. 

“Soobin?” he says. Soobin smiles gently while Yeonjun cups his face, running his thumb over a new scar. 

“What’s this?” he says. Soobin, feeling embarrassed because it’s from when he slipped and fell out of a tree, shakes his head. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he says. 

“Bin, I’ve missed you so much,” Yeonjun says and Soobin feels his heart flutter. “You’re still coming, right?” 

“Of course,” Soobin says because there’s something else there. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“You have to save my brother,” Yeonjun says suddenly. “And Beomgyu. Save them both.” 

Soobin feels his chest close up with fear. 

“What about you?” 

Yeonjun laughs but it feels melancholic. He kisses Soobin softly. 

“I’ll be fine,” he says. “As long as you’re all okay, I’m fine.”

_ I’m not okay if you aren’t, _ Soobin thinks as he releases a frustrated sigh and leans their forehead together. 

“I wish I could take you away right now.”

“It’ll be alright, Soobin-ah.” Yeonjun kisses him again. Soobin decides it isn’t enough and steals one more. 

“I love you,” he says. 

“I love you too. Be careful, yes? I don’t want to find any more scars on you,” Yeonjun says as Soobin laughs. He’s about to go before he turns around and runs back in, pressing their lips together. Yeonjun squeaks, stiff before he melts into it, his fingers running through Soobin’s hair. When Soobin pulls away, there’s a dazed look on Yeonjun’s face. Soobin forces himself out of the balcony door and he goes over a few rooftops before looking back, finding the doors to have been closed. He sighs, shaking his head before continuing. 

They continue to get ready to crash Yeonjun’s wedding. There’s not much to do, though, so a lot of it is spent waiting. 

Soobin gets to quit waiting the day wedding gifts are to be presented. His heart is pounding as he waits, looking at Yeonjun. The Omega’s face is covered but Soobin can still see the outlines of his facial expressions. It’s clear that the jewelry and dresses and fertility blessings he’s getting are anything but appreciated. 

However, Soobin is unable to stomp out the anger he feels when he sees Dae-Hyun sitting near Yeonjun. He can still hear that bastard talking about Yeonjun as if he’s nothing but a possession to be had. He flexes his fingers and bites hard on his lower lip. 

“For Prince Dae-Hyun,” Soobin says after his presence is announced, “I bring a sword carved from whalebone.” Well. Not exactly. Soobin may or may have not switched it out for some cheaper material. While Dae-Hyun looks at it, Soobin says, “It’s enchanted to reveal the true tendencies of anyone as wished by the wielder.” He grins. “I also offer a grove of the finest tropical fruit to the both of you.”

Turning to Yeonjun, Soobin fights back a proud grin as he snaps his fingers. 

“To His Highness, Prince Yeonjun, I present to you a dagger made by a dragon’s tooth - one of the most powerful materials in the entire empire. No enchantments are needed. Its hilt is made of sealskin leather, the blade smoothed by the waves. For such a thing is far too small for you, I’ve also brought a music box. With it comes a necklace that holds a great spirit within. Be careful, Highness, for it may only be freed once before it is lost,” Soobin says. He steps aside as the dagger is brought out, the scabbard made of fine leather. It’s wrapped up and kept in a box, though Yeonjun removes the silk covering it to look at the weapon. The music box comes next, kept on a plush cushion. It doesn’t look like much, but Soobin knows that’s a simple tactic to keep it safe. It wouldn’t be good if a water spirit was released by accident. 

Yeonjun bows his head in thanks while Dae-Hyun says, “Thank you.” Soobin shoots the other Alpha a scornful glare as he walks off, winking at Yeonjun. 

During the feast, Yeonjun and Soobin make eye contact before Yeonjun walks off to his chambers. Soobin follows not long after, heading down the empty hall until he reaches Yeonjun’s room. 

Once he closes the door, he’s reaching for Yeonjun, removing the veil over his face and head. He holds Yeonjun by his hips as they kiss, helping him up as he backs him into a wall. Soobin grazes his fangs over the oh-so plump swell of Yeonjun’s bottom lip, drawing a gasp from the other boy and sliding his tongue inside of his mouth. His hands have vice-like grips on Yeonjun’s thighs and Soobin deliriously wonders if he’ll leave bruises. He pulls away and kisses a sloppy line down Yeonjun’s neck, panting while Yeonjun gasps. Soobin mouths at Yeonjun’s exposed collarbone, despising the fact that they have to keep their little tryst a secret. Nonetheless, Soobin pulls Yeonjun’s dress down to touch because there’s so much to explore and so little time to do it. His hips buck on their own accord and Yeonjun releases a weak moan of sorts, his voice high-pitched. 

“So beautiful,” Soobin whispers against his lips as they kiss again. “All I could see was you next to that bastard and all I could think about was how he didn’t deserve you, how I don’t deserve you - stars above, you’re a  _ god _ .”

Yeonjun can’t say anything as Soobin snaps his hips forward, his mouth open as Soobin presses him further into the wall. The layers of fabric separating their bodies might be a good thing; Soobin has no doubt that they’d have gone as far as possible if they weren’t there. 

“Suh-Soobin,” Yeonjun says breathlessly. 

“What is it, love?” Soobin says. ”Tell me, I’ll do it. Anything you want, petal.” Yeonjun doesn’t say anything but he kisses Soobin again, just as hungry and desperate as Soobin feels. 

There’s a sound from the party and Soobin is so startled he almost drops Yeonjun. 

Soobin sighs and leans their foreheads together. 

“It isn’t fair,” he says. 

“I wish it was you.”

“That makes two of us.” Yeonjun laughs, but the sound is breathless and sad. Wistful, really. He and Soobin kiss again. It’s much softer, though. 

“I love you so much,” he says softly. 

“I love you too,” Soobin says while Yeonjun sighs. Soobin puts him down and attempts to comb his hair with his fingers. Yeonjun hands him a comb off of his vanity while he puts the veils on. 

“Do I smell like you?” 

Soobin sniffs him, shrugging. “A little,” he says. 

“Would anyone notice?” Yeonjun says as he checks his makeup. 

“Doubtful.” 

“Alright,” Yeonjun says. He moves the veil covering his mouth and kisses Soobin again. 

“You should go back first,” Soobin tells Yeonjun, his voice soft. “Everyone must be looking for you.”

“I’ll tell them I felt faint.” Soobin nods. He thinks that should be enough. 

“Stay safe,” he says. 

“As long as you do as well.” Soobin laughs. He finds it cute and a little sad that Yeonjun’s so worried about his safety. 

“Okay,” Soobin says. For good measure, he adds, “I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Yeonjun says. Soobin watches forlornly as he leaves. He waits for a bit before heading back as well, returning to the party. 

The next day, Soobin is called back to the palace. His stomach churns uncomfortably as something warns him that what’s to happen isn’t anything good. 

“Soobin,” his father says. Soobin looks at the woman. 

“Hello, Father,” he says. 

“Don’t call me that,” the Alpha hisses. Soobin flinches and he looks to his mother. She’s got her eyes trained on her dress. 

“Mother?” he says. “What’s going on?” 

“You’re lucky you’re not being executed,” Soobin’s father says. She glares at the boy, her eyes alight with both anger and disgust. “You’re a traitor to the empire.” 

Soobin stiffens. 

“What?” he says. “What do you mean? Who told you that?” 

_ No, no, no no, no, no- _

“You saved the White Rabbit’s life, for one,” the other Alpha says. “Soobin, you should have killed him!” 

Soobin bites his lip. Well, it looks like everything just took a dramatic turn. 

“What’s going to happen to me?” he says. 

“You’ll be banished,” Soobin’s mother finally says. She looks up and stares at the boy. “Show your face in the empire again and you’ll be executed without remorse.” 

Soobin nods. 

“Will I be given any time to pack my things up?” 

“You have until sunset,” his father says as she turns away. Soobin nods and races up the stairs to his chambers. He knows his parents are being quite merciful, especially since he  _ should _ be executed for treason. He hasn’t a single clue why they’re treating him this way, nor does he know what to chalk it up to. He doesn’t have time to worry about such things, however, as sunset seems to be getting closer with every second that passes. And, well, he supposes it is. 

In the end, Soobin simply gets all of his papers, his letters from Yeonjun, some clothes, and then some weapons. He runs out and finds Jjunie, mounting her and riding off. 

Surprisingly, Soobin’s banishment doesn’t set them back much, if at all. It’s a relief and Soobin supposes it was going to happen sooner or later. He camps out in the cellar beneath Jimin’s library until the night of the wedding. Then, he sneaks into the guards' quarters and steals a set of armor. He beats up whoever’s taking the shift and steals the keys, then he ties the guard up and locks him in a closet. Soobin feels a bit of remorse for him as he’s terribly young, but his feelings need to take a backseat. 

Quietly, he walks to Taehyun and Beomgyu’s cell. In the dim, dim light of the torches, he can see the swelling of Taehyun’s eye and his busted lip. He’s got a few cuts too, but nothing else that Soobin can see. Around his feet, a gray wolf lies, though it opens its eyes the moment Soobin walks by. Not wanting to cause a scene, he drops the keys on the ground and continues walking. 

[ _ Bloom _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eQz-Enod2U)

Soobin quietly enters the temple. Yeonjun sits up when he comes into the Omega’s line of sight, watching him curiously as he begins to undress. There are countless reasons why this is a terrible, terrible idea, but they’ve all been pushed so far into the back of Soobin’s mind they might as well be non-existent. 

Carefully, Soobin gets into the water. It’s cold and, when he’s in as deep as it gets, it goes to his bellybutton. Yeonjun’s eyes sparkle beneath the moonlight and Soobin swears he can hear his breathing. 

When Soobin gets close enough, Yeonjun spreads his legs and Soobin gets between them, staring carefully at Yeonjun to gauge his reaction. The Omega’s eyes are hooded and lust-blown and then Soobin leans forward and kisses him. Yeonjun’s sitting on a bench of sorts and he tugs Soobin closer. Soobin is forced to get on his knees but he can’t say he minds. The marble is smooth beneath his skin as he gets closer, bracketing Yeonjun in with the help of the edge of the pool. Their tongues dance together and Soobin can feel Yeonjun’s fingers dragging through his hair, the black locks soaking up the water from Yeonjun’s hands. He breathes heavily through his nose as he moves away and begins kissing Yeonjun’s neck, the pale skin soft and unblemished. Soobin surprises himself when he manages to keep from leaving any hickeys or bitemarks on Yeonjun, especially when his head falls back and he pants, exposing even more skin. Soobin sees him lick his lips out of the corner of his eye and he tracks the movements of his Adam’s apple as he gasps for breath. 

“Let - let me see,” Yeonjun says before Soobin can get any further. Soobin stops and sits back, letting Yeonjun’s eyes rove over his body, tracing the scars and muscles with his eyes. The largest is from an attack of sorts gone wrong, when a griffin had managed to get at Soobin’s shoulder. The flesh is still a bit pink. Yeonjun reaches out and holds his hand over the old wound, looking for permission in Soobin’s eyes. 

He nods and Yeonjun traces the scar. After he pulls his head away, he moves forward and peppers light butterfly kisses over the injured flesh, spreading out until he covers all of Soobin’s chest. He trails his way up to Soobin’s lips and they kiss again, unable to stop touching each other. Yeonjun lies back and Soobin moves with him, his mind running far too fast for him to even try to keep up. He’s high on the adrenaline when he thinks of being caught and then he’s simply too giddy to think straight because he’s with  _ Yeonjun _ . And gods, he can’t quite believe it. Yeonjun’s lips are sweet just like the rest of him, a salty tang coming from his sweat. He smells like vanilla and honey and happiness and Soobin swears he thinks he’s flying. He’s perfect and beautiful and everything Soobin’s ever wanted. 

“Oh,  _ gods, _ ” Yeonjun groans. Soobin holds his wrists above his head (gods, they’re so  _ tiny _ ) and kisses him softly, resting a hand on his hip. He feels like some sort of animal as he snaps his hips forward, pressing his lips to Yeonjun’s neck. 

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” he says, breathing heavily. Yeonjun looks at him with bleary eyes, blinking slowly. He smiles, then, and Soobin’s heart melts even more. 

“I love - oh! - love you too, Soobinnie,” he breathes. 

Gods, Soobin can’t get enough of him. Yeonjun’s head is resting on the edge of the pool and Soobin is mesmerized by the way the sweat and water coating his skin makes it glow beneath the light of the moon. His heart pounds as he shifts so he’s sitting on the bench, pulling Yeonjun with him. The Omega straddles him, panting heavily as he looks at Soobin through his eyelashes. Soobin kisses him again and loses himself to euphoria. 

[ _ INCEPTION _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSzsGDt_vqg)

When he wakes up, it’s with an almost overwhelming sense of dread. He sits quietly in the pool of water with Yeonjun resting against his chest, still blissfully unaware of what lies ahead. In a sense, Soobin is too. 

He gently shakes Yeonjun awake after a few moments of silence. It’s clear that Soobin’s emotions are painted on his face. Yeonjun kisses him. 

“I love you,” Soobin whispers when he pulls away. “Yeonjun, I’m so, so sorry.” 

“Why?” Yeonjun says and he looks so lost. Soobin hates it, it feels as if his heart is being ripped from his chest. 

“I’m sorry,” Soobin says instead of explaining as he begins to cry. Yeonjun grabs his arm and tries to pull him back, deeper into the water. Soobin leans toward him and kisses him again. When he pulls away, he wipes Yeonjun’s tears away and leaves his own. 

“I’ll find you, I swear,” he whispers, praying he can keep to it. “I love you so much.” 

“Don’t leave me, please,” Yeonjun begs and Soobin feels like crying even more. “Please don’t leave me.” 

“I’ll be back, I promise,” Soobin says, keeping the  _ ‘in one way or another’ _ part to himself. “You’ll see me in a few hours, okay?”  _ Unless we’re caught before.  _

“That’s too long,” Yeonjun says as delirium begins to creep into his voice. “Binnie-”

“I love you, don’t forget it.”  _ Please don’t forget it.  _

“What’s going to happen, Soobin?” Yeonjun says. Soobin gets out of the water and begins getting dressed, though he stops to look over his shoulder. Then he looks forward and notices the rising sun. Shit. “Soobin?” 

“You won’t have to marry him, I promise. I’ll get to you as soon as I can, I love you.”  _ I swear on the will of the gods, we’ll be together.  _

“Soobin-!”

The Alpha runs, then, because he can’t jeopardize the rescue of Yeonjun, Taehyun, and Beomgyu any more than he already has. 

However, it all goes to shit when he’s suddenly grabbed, a bag tugged over his head as his wrists are tied behind his back. Soobin digs his nails into the skin of his palms and struggles to fight back, but he’s still groggy from sleep and the guards are much bigger than him. There are also more of them and Soobin is helpless as he’s dragged off to his execution. 

For obvious reasons, he doesn’t expect it to be on Yeonjun’s wedding day. As he’s transported to wherever he’s supposed to be going, Soobin tries to think of every type of escape plan possible. Fighting the guards would be impossible because he can’t see and his hands are tied. There’s the added component of him not having any sort of weapon, so that crosses out a lot of plans. 

When the cart or whatever stops, Soobin is yanked out and then he’s shoved along, up a small staircase. 

“-And the execution of a traitor to the empire!” he hears Yeonjun’s father announce. His heart pounds and he forces himself to calm his expression before the bag is removed. He can smell Yeonjun. 

The sack is pulled from Soobin’s head and he fights the urge to wince when the sun hits his eyes. He looks around as if to check if his nose is playing tricks on him but that’s Yeonjun in a wedding dress, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. He can’t even hear his own crimes being read as he stares at Yeonjun. 

_ No, no, no, no - not in front of him. Not in front of Yeonjun,  _ please.

“Father, please,” Yeonjun says suddenly as he removes his veil. “I’m begging you, don’t do this. Not to Soobin.” His voice is breaking and it sounds as if he’s on the verge of tears. 

“He is a traitor,” his father says. “We are expected to kill him. We must kill him.” Yeonjun looks sickened and angry by the words. 

“No, no, Soobin would never,” he says and Soobin feels his heart break a little more. “I’m his best friend- I know everything there is to know about him, and I can-”

“Kill him!” the king cries and then Soobin feels his heart stop as fear freezes his entire body. But, before the sword and even graze him, Yeonjun’s getting in the way, his dagger out. The weapons clang when they come in contact. 

“No,” Yeonjun says, his voice low and dangerous in a way that Soobin’s never heard before. “No, you won’t kill him.” 

Soobin catches sight of Jeongguk through the corner of his eye. He also sees Namjoon, his mask on, and Jimin beside him. They’re at an angle from which they’re only visible to Soobin and he can see Jimin notching an arrow in his bow. Namjoon nods before silently slinking away. 

“Must I kill you as well?” the king snarls. “I will. I have no qualms in doing so.” 

Soobin gets to work on the ropes binding his wrists. How amateur. 

“You’re a monster,” Yeonjun sneers. He’s positively fuming as he says, “You have no problems killing your son or ripping the very person who makes your only heir the happiest. How dare you disguise yourself as a king in that pathetic skin of yours.”

“Guards,” the king says and Soobin finishes undoing the ropes, “kill my son and the traitor.” 

The arrow flies through the air as Soobin yanks Yeonjun down. Everyone looks up to see Jimin just as Jeongguk spins over his head, tossing a knife through the air. Jimin fires another arrow before landing beside Jeongguk so they’re back-to-back. Namjoon, dramatic as ever, makes his entrance and Soobin rolls his eyes at how the crowd seems to gasp. He lands and everyone begins screaming, attempting to run from the three of them. Yeonjun grabs the skirts of his dress and Soobin tries to help him run as well, though he might as well run for himself. Yeonjun, at least, has a weapon. Thankfully, Jeongguk comes over and shields them with his body, ushering them along. 

“Taehyun!” Yeonjun yells. “What of Taehyun and Beomgyu? And Hueningkai!” Jeongguk looks over at them both and nods. Thank the gods, it worked. He can hear Yeonjun sigh, relieved as they get to the end of the platform. Soobin jumps and then Jeongguk picks Yeonjun up, leaping down. He puts Yeonjun back on the ground before picking him up again, then they start running. There’s the clatter of horse hooves and Namjoon appears while Jimin leaps over rooftops. 

“You can ride sidesaddle?” Soobin says, turning to look at Yeonjun. He nods and then Jeongguk tosses him onto the horse. Soobin grabs a steed of his own and Jeongguk dashes away. Jimin comes up on his own horse and then Jeongguk joins them. Taehyun is leaning against his back, barely awake, while a gray wolf, the same one from the prison, runs beside them. 

Namjoon directs them to stop at the edge of the city and then they all let their horses go. Soobin looks up and hopes that Hueningkai is with the dragons. 

“Kai!” he bellows. 

“What?” Hueningkai says as he stumbles out from behind a building. 

“We were wondering where you were.” Hueningkai shrugs then looks up. 

“When are the dragons coming, Hyung?” he says to Namjoon. 

“They should be here by now,” Namjoon says and Soobin can see him growing nervous. He turns and looks at the approaching troops. “If they don’t hurry up, we’re dead.” 

_ Water spirit. The necklace, Yeonjun’s wearing it.  _

“Break the necklace,” Soobin says. Yeonjun frowns at him. 

“What?” 

“The necklace. Break it,” Soobin says, hoping that Yeonjun will listen. He does and then, once it’s broken, a gust of wind blows through the area as a water spirit in the form of a dragon lands, bowing its head at them. They all board and Soobin whispers a thanks before it takes off. 

Time seems to blur together after that. Namjoon goes to the castle to rescue Seokjin and then they return before heading back to govern the far islands. Yoongi and Jimin come months after and Seokjin returns with Namjoon, then they all head back. 

Soobin thinks he falls even deeper the more time he spends with Yeonjun. They do, unfortunately, have their first fight, though, when Yeonjun finds out that Soobin was his replacement after he’s asked to become emperor. It takes a bit for them to make up but, in the end, Soobin is thankful for it. It feels, suddenly, as if the weight on his shoulders has been lessened immensely. 

[ _ Animal _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZdV0C_h9cM)

And then, of course, he spends his first heat with Yeonjun. It’s sometime in . . . well, September perhaps? A little after Yeonjun’s birthday and they’re locked in the house. 

“I love you,” Soobin breathes, kissing Yeonjun again. His boyfriend (it sounds like everything nice whenever he says that) whimpers and tugs at his clothes. 

“Soobinnie, Soobinnie, Yeonjunie’s  _ needy _ ,” he whines. Soobin stares at him. 

Gods, he really is the most beautiful person in the world. His blue hair is plastered to his forehead from how he’s sweating buckets and his skin is shiny. He must’ve taken his clothes off while Soobin was away, not that Soobin minds. (He does enjoy undressing Yeonjun, though. It’s like opening the greatest present in the world.) His eyes, big and brown, lock with Soobin’s as he blinks. They’re full of (presumably) frustrated tears and they look even glassier from that. His skin is flushed as he trembles, shaking weakly. 

“Soobinnie,” he whines, snapping the Alpha out of his stupor. He looks at Yeonjun and smiles softly.

“I’m here, naekko,” he says. Yeonjun whines again and tugs on his clothes. Soobin smiles and pulls his shirt off, handing it to Yeonjun to add to his nest. It’s thrown somewhere near the pillows and Soobin undoes his belt, letting it fall to the ground. Yeonjun’s never liked having belts in his nest. However, he tugs greedily at Soobin’s pants, drawing a laugh from the younger boy as he pulls them off. He’s left in his underwear and Soobin can’t ignore the way Yeonjun eyes the garment and what Soobin keeps under it, licking his lips. 

“Gimme,” he demands. Soobin laughs again. Yeonjun seems to be the type who becomes a pillow princess during his heat. 

“All right, all right,” Soobin says as he finally pulls his underwear off, tossing it at Yeonjun. He catches it and-

“Oh my gods, you weirdo,” Soobin says. Yeonjun’s sniffing his underwear and while Soobin knows it’s his heat, he can’t help laughing. 

“Smells like you,” Yeonjun breathes, his eyes lustful as he looks at Soobin and blinks slowly. Soobin swallows hard. 

_ Okay, maybe that’s kinda hot, _ he admits to himself as he crawls into bed. Yeonjun moves back and lies down in his nest, wrapping his legs around Soobin’s middle and his arms around his neck. His lips are soft and wet from how constantly he’s been licking them. They taste of sugar and sweets, though Soobin is guessing that’s his fault for having a snack earlier. 

“You’ve been neglecting me,” Yeonjun pouts when Soobin pulls away. He crosses his arms and moves to sit up. His cheeks are puffed from his pout. 

“Aw, Yeonjunie,” Soobin says as he crawls toward him. Yeonjun sits on his little ‘throne’ (a pile of clothes), pouting. 

“I could taste your tart!” he cries, sounding as if Soobin has just betrayed him in every way possible. Soobin laughs and gets closer, kissing his cheek. 

“I’m sorry,” he says. Yeonjun hmphs. 

“You’d better be. You’ve never been with anyone in heat, have you?” 

Soobin hums, shaking his head. Yeonjun grins evilly before pushing him onto his back, slinging a leg over him. 

“Well,” he says, “I guess you’ll be in for quite a surprise.” 

Thanks to the stamina granted to him by his secondary sex, Soobin survives Yeonjun’s heat. Their days go like this: eat and drink, sex, sleep, wake up to Yeonjun whining, sex again, sleep, force Yeonjun to eat, sex, sleep, wake up before Yeonjun and use the bathroom, etc.. It’s as tiring as it sounds. 

But one of the upsides is how cuddly Yeonjun is after. He’s curled up in Soobin’s arms, fast asleep. Yeonjun has a habit of moving around a whole lot while he sleeps, but Soobin can usually lie on top of him to get him to stop. Or cuddle him. Soobin doesn’t mind either of them, though it makes him a bit nervous when he puts his entire weight on Yeonjun. 

“I can’t believe it,” Soobin says quietly. He doesn’t get a response nor does he expect one. 

He smiles, rolling onto his side to admire Yeonjun’s sleeping face. His hair is tangled and he smells of them both. Soobin reaches out to push a lock of hair behind his ear and he kisses his nose. 

“I love you,” he whispers. Yeonjun grunts and rolls around, whining quietly when he doesn’t immediately feel Soobin. Soobin laughs quietly and wraps an arm around Yeonjun’s waist, pulling him close so his back is to Soobin’s chest. He buries his nose in Yeonjun’s hair and inhales deeply, closing his eyes and sighing. Gods, he’s so whipped. 

Time goes on, and Taehyung, Jeongguk, Hoseok, Dae-Jung, and Hanna return/come to the island. Months later, Beomgyu gives birth to Sarang and Byeol. The discussions about the war start and it becomes a whole lot more real for everyone. Soobin is glad to have distractions, but he knows he’ll have to step up. 

And then, of course, Namjoon and Seokjin break up. It hits everyone somehow. Namjoon refuses to talk to anyone and Seokjin isolates himself or remains silent whenever he’s with other people. Soobin notices Namjoon growing stressed and quick to anger around people while Seokjin withdraws. Soobin himself grows scared of the same thing happening to himself and Yeonjun and he grows more affectionate, though he tries not to rub it into Namjoon’s and Seokjin’s faces. It doesn’t help that they’re packing to go to Ifan, something that only adds pressure. 

But, finally, they finish packing. It’s early September when they do, and they all get ready to board the ship. 

As Soobin prepares to board, he searches for a vision. They’ve been rather silent, but, when they do come, they’re long and time-consuming and they often make no sense whatsoever. The only one that’s ever shown itself multiple times is the one where Yeonjun is sitting on a chair in a field of violets, bleeding with a crown of purple flowers on his head. 

_ Well? _ Soobin thinks.  _ Any parting visions or advice you could offer? _

As expected, he’s answered by the same emptiness he’s grown used to. 

Soobin sighs, then looks ahead and boards the boat. 

**Author's Note:**

> luv you and see you soon!!


End file.
